Happily Ever After
by Eraqus
Summary: Sayla was your ordinary girl who lived an ordinary life on Earth. But she gets thrown into a video game series and experiences adventures that are far from real. From fighting heartless, to traveling to various worlds along with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, to romance and indifference, this is sure to be one crazy adventure!
1. Chapter 1: A Heartfelt Shatter

**A/N: That's right, ladies and gents! I am back on the strain of writing! I admit I was rather reluctant to return to Fanfiction, but now I am glad I did, and hope my efforts in the writing department will blow you all away! So what're you waiting on?! Read, I say! :D**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts or any resources owned by Square Enix, I wouldn't be writing this-instead, I'd be rolling around in mountains made of money!**

* * *

Chapter 1: A Heartfelt Shatter

"_Sayla, you're so grounded. Sayla, you're so stupid_," I murmured back to myself. Oh, I should explain this, shouldn't I?

It just so happens that I found myself skipping my chores to go out and play video games with my friend Sara. Yeah, not my best idea. But, hey, when your parents go off on a trip to Hawaii only to find their flight was cancelled and return to find no trace of me, I guess as much was expected. I mean, I was having a blast taking turns and playing Kingdom Hearts with Sara.

Kingdom Hearts had to be the funnest game ever invented.

Sara had no idea that I had skipped out, otherwise I was certain she wouldn't have let me come over.

When my phone rang, and the caller ID showed up as Mom, I answered, figuring they were checking up on me from the plane. Instead, I endured a festivity of screams and relent. I let them know I was at Sara's, so they came to pick me up. They went off on me in front of my friend. It was a little embarrassing, I admit.

So here I am. I am locked in my room for the next couple of weeks. I guess it wasn't so bad considering I had a week's supply of Doritos, my trusty iPhone (4th Gen), and my neighbors shitty Wi-Fi network.

I leaned against the white wall where my bed was pressed against. I listened to a whole bunch of rock and country. I _hated_ love songs. Ick. Yeah, don't make me sick.

Oh, I am straying from the story, aren't I? Back to the dialogue!

"Two weeks can't be that bad," I tried to reassure myself. But who was I kidding? It was practically torture! The only exceptions I was allowed to leave was when I had to go to the bathroom, or eat. Which either scenario was nice, I supposed.

I suppressed my boredom by going to some of my favorite websites; namely Fanfiction. It was a website that harbored hundreds and thousands of stories. The variety I would read plentied. Sometimes I felt like reading anime, cartoons, books, games, or even comics.

To fill in the gap of time that was supposed to be spent at Sara's, I opened up a Kingdom Hearts fanfic page.

"Yaoi, gross," I scrolled down my iPhone. It wasn't that I disliked Yaoi, it's just romance in general disgusted me. I didn't believe in true love. "High School story..." I considered it, but decided not to read it. "Female OC falls into Kingdom Hearts Universe. Hmm, interesting," I grimaced.

As I made my decision, I proceeded to read it. After a few chapters and wasted hours, I have suddenly reached my verdict.

The story was tasteless and pathetic. The character from said story was relatively beautiful and could wield a Keyblade. Did I mention that at chapter three the OC and Sora kiss?

"For _crying_ out loud," I rolled my eyes, and turned my iPhone off. I got a little annoyed when my brown hair jarred my eyes. I swept the bangs out of my face to reveal green-colored eyes. "How come I can't get away from everything and be thrown into some cool world? I wish to be apart of some cool Kingdom Hearts adventure."

But I knew that this was reality, and it was impossible. Much less likely. I didn't care, I supposed. My wish was more rhetorical if anything.

I yawned, and cuddled with my lovely iPhone, my prized possession that I could not possibly live without!

* * *

"The Keyhole...it shouldn't be doing this," huffed the cloaked figure in brown. That figure was Ansem, prematurely.

Maleficent gaped at the figure through the corner of her eye. She smirked, tapping her staff against the ground. Even as an almighty witch, she knew better than to speak out against The Seeker of Darkness. Instead, she sighed half-heartedly. "It's too soon for the Keyhole to be reacting...we haven't even begun our plan, yet. Is it trying to tell us something?"

"Perhaps you should give it some time." A woman wearing a black veil silently approached them. She held a staff in her hands.

"Sitka, you should know better than to intrude," murmured Ansem. It was something about his aura that seemed to silence her.

She looked away from his hood, and continued, "All I mean to say is that the timing is too perfect."

It was as though the Keyhole had just suddenly come to life and swirled around a variety of colors in the castle of Hollow Bastion just like in the end of the game. It was like it was just suddenly completed.

The three observed it carefully, as though it was going to explode...However, Sitka, behind her veil, focused her dark energy quickly.

* * *

I floated downward. This was one messed up dream. It was like I fell underwater and hit solid ground. Nothing but darkness entwined my surroundings. It was a little unnerving.

"Hello?" I said, taking a few steps before stopping

Nothing happened. I huffed, and repeated myself, except a little louder. "_HELLO_?!"

"Are you...Are you inside the door...?" whispered a frail voice.

"Huh? Who's there?" I looked around nervously. I wandered with a form of uncertainty until the person spoke again. At thirteen-years-old, I typically wasn't used to this.

"It's me," the person who spoke repeated.

I nearly jumped out of fear before a blinding light struck below myself and revealed a beautiful stained glass decor, and a frame that looked like Sora leaning sideways. Sora? Maybe I was having a pathetic Kingdom Hearts dream. It wasn't at all plausible, I think.

"Where are you?" I asked, looking around.

"I...I wish I could tell you," repeated the figure. It sounded like that of a female.

"Fair enough," I said, crossing my arms. "Well, where am I, at least?"

It was clear that I was at the Station of Awakening. But, hey, I thought that I would mess with the spirit in my dreams.

"My name is Sitka...And you _are in danger_," she warned.

This managed to pique my refined interest. I staggered, "What do you mean?"

"Find the door in the your dream...And leave as soon as you diverge. Before you get caught," she warned.

A door? Here at the Station of Awakening? It must be like the one Sora used to awaken from his dream. And by grave danger, I naturally wasn't worried. I kept reassuring myself this was a dream and that, regardless, I would awaken anyway. But I figured I would comply, in any case. I continued sarcastically, "Sure, okay. I will find a magic door out of thin air, easy."

I rolled my eyes and awaited a reply. I was dumbstruck when Sitka hadn't spoke. My disembodied hallucinations was just a mere complexion of those Fanfictions that I wasted away my time on.

"Okay, um..." I said with a pathetic stutter. "Abra cadabra!"

Nothing. Of course. I guess times like these were when Plan B was supposed to be inclined. "Wake up, you crazy son of a-" I was prepared to pinch my arm, until a small, jet-black portal wriggled on the floor. Emerging from said hole was none other than a tiny heartless. It's large, yellow eyes reminded me of large bug eyes from a pathetic cartoon show. Disgusting.

* * *

"Sitka!" cried Ansem, breaking his usual-creepy calm state of being.

Sitka blinked, her whole blank eyes returning to their normal shade of grey. She exchanged a look to the overlord, and addressed him with a look that said _Yes? _It was a little more trivial than it should have been to meet her expression behind her dark veil.

"Did you contact the source?" asked Ansem.

"Yeah...There's...This child," Sitka recollected. She glanced bitterly at Maleficent, as though Ansem had disappeared from the room. Sitka continued, "She is _inside_ of the Keyhole..."

Maleficent had a grim expression on her face. It was hard telling if that was her typical expression, or if she was genuinely malevolent. However one would perceive it, her expression typically meant no good. "That must be what is making the Keyhole react with such negativity...How do we extract her? She'll just make things worse!"

Fire grew at the hedges of Maleficent's ragged and aged dress. The fire was green and ominous. That's usually how you could tell to get the heck away from her.

Ansem held up a dismissing hand to the witch. Even though you couldn't see Ansem, it was evident he was rather bitter. "Not true. In fact, if anything, we could make use of her. She could increase the speed of Kingdom Hearts significantly."

Sitka didn't say much. She was always quiet and obsolete. Not much less could be expected from your every day introverts. She probably wouldn't be considered as far as an introvert, if you truly thought about it.

She had a bad feeling for the girl she met at the Station of Awakening. She knew that the door would either open to reveal a light path, which would undoubtedly lead her to Traverse Town; or a dark path, namely here: Hollow Bastion. She figured that girl had a righteous heart, hadn't she?

That girl is me, Sayla Baker.

* * *

"Get away from me! Eek!" I cried, running to another edge of the Station. Even though the heartless was slow, I was still scared as hell of it. I had tried kicking it, but to no avail. The deviance of my opponent seemed obliged more the reason to attack me.

"Why won't you just DIE?!" I sat on my butt, submitted.

The heartless finally made its way to me and just stopped beside me. I just rolled my eyes. I expected it to just attack and finally wake me up. This dream started to bore me.

To my chagrin, the heartless just nuzzled its head against my hand. I opened her my eyes wide, in shock. I yanked my hand away. "Aren't you supposed to be bad? Why aren't you trying to steal my heart?!"

I discerned the idea of this being a dream temporarily, and found myself talking to the small black creature with antennaes. I was sitting on Sora's head. I found out that Sora rhymed with Sara and that was pretty funny. I found myself snickering.

The heartless tilted its head sideways like a lost, confused puppy. I smiled. "If you want to be my friend so bad, you should help me leave this crappy place."

I could have sworn I saw that heartless nod in consent. Now, I felt like I was the confused one. Just as the heartless sunk back into a black portal, I gritted my teeth, "Hey, you, get back here!

As the heartless disappeared, pink double-doors formulated through a sparkle of light. Unlike with Sora, I was glad there was no tutorial. I scurried to the door, and clenched my fists triumphantly. "Finally! Goodbye dream world, HELLO Doritos!"

Usually I wouldn't trust magic doors, but hey, why not, since this wasn't real? It didn't even feel real. I felt lighter here. As I opened the door, I saw a set of mixed colors. I shrugged, and entered.

* * *

I stepped out, and found that I wasn't in my room, but instead in the presence of...a girl in a black veil, a figure cloaked in brown, and a scrawny female with black horns.

I gulped. I was _pretty frikkin sure_ that I was still in dream mode. I was hoping to be home, and, as another ulterior, to at least be in the safety and company of Sora and friends.

"Leave, both of you," whispered Ansem, to where I couldn't hear.

I was alarmed. I glanced backwards at the Keyhole, which was dead once again. I knew I couldn't back-track to the safety of my dream.

"But, Master Ansem..." Sitka started. Her voice was familiar. She sounded like the lady who tried to talk to me in the Station of Awakening.

"He said to go, inept girl," Maleficent dissipated in her green fire, although interest was evident in her eyes as she wanted to observe herself.

"Of course," she nodded behind her veil, darkly. She held open a hand and a fiery heartless bird appeared. She leaped onto the bird and flew off. Did the heartless just yield to Sitka?

Damn. If Sitka was bad, and I listened to her...I was in a trap. I looked away from Ansem's gaze. Even if I wanted to, he had no face behind that cloak of his. He was reduced to just a heart.

"What is your name?" asked Ansem.

"What's yours?!" I snapped, even though I already knew. I sure hoped this was some awful dream. Or nightmare, rather.

"I...have many names," he approached me quietly. I sure wished I had something to defend myself with, at least. A shield, even! When I blinked, he wasn't there anymore. My heart skipped a beat. He stood behind me.

"-But you may call me Ansem."

I spun around, and fell on my butt. My expression changed from fear, to slight annoyance. "My name is Sayla," she paused, and then smirked. "Sayla the Great."

"Your posture says otherwise," he said. He observed her, and gasped lightly. "It can't be...Heartless...It seems they are drawn to your presence."

"Huh?" I raised an eyebrow. I probably would have been more intimidated if Ansem had a body. But he didn't, fortunately. "Are you crazy?"

He summoned a few soldiers. He pointed at me, who backed away. They surrounded me, and my heart started racing.

"It's sink or swim. Either they are, or they're not drawn to you. If not, you'll make a decent meal for them to feed on," said Ansem bluntly.

The soldiers closed in on me. Just because a heartless was nice to me doesn't mean all would be. Heartless were like people, equal. Instead of the soldiers attacking, they stood in front of me protectively, as though shielding me from Ansem. I was taken aback.

"Ah..." he said.

"What?" I ask.

"You...You are different, per say, Sayla..." he said. He turned his attention to the soldiers, and held up a dark, quivering arm. Immediately the soldiers turned to Sayla venemously.

Could they have free will if someone wasn't using the dark forces around them? In a way, Ansem was manipulating them. I half-expected them to attack, but instead, Ansem shook his head. "No, no. Spare the prisoner. Instead...Show her to the chambers underground. That will be her new room."

"Prisoner?!" I gasped.

"I didn't stutter. And, should she pose a threat, punish her," said Ansem ruthlessly.

I was a prisoner? I didn't dare back talk as a soldier held its sharp arm into my back. I swallowed my pride, and started walking.

I needed Sora, or Riku. Now.

* * *

**A/N: Heheh! Immediate plot twist! What, you thought it'd be that easy for Sayla? That she'd get to travel with Sora right away? Nah, that's Mary Sue-ish. Getting caught by the antagonists, however, isn't so much ;)!**

**Just so y'all know, I won't be changing the plot of Kingdom Hearts. On the contrary, I will be going along with the plot. This story just takes place a little before Kingdom Hearts 1 starts and I have a sideplot that involves Sayla you will learn about soon enough. Can anyone guess? REVIEW OwO!**


	2. Chapter 2: Silence and Situational

**A/N: Onward with Chapter 2 :D Finally, right?! Seeing as my ex story hit a standstill, I deleted it and went on a hiatus for years.**

**Well, my English altogether has dramatically improved for the better, and I started this story which derived from the very idea that was my original. My old story was entitled Re: Kingdom Hearts, but I did away with that. I thought it was blissfully pathetic.**

**And what can I say? I was fourteen at the time. Now I grew a significant three years. My old one was unoriginal. I decided to quirk the plot a bit.**

**And without further ado, here is chapter two!**

**I added lots of humor, so read :D!**

**(Whoa, THAT RHYMES c:!)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I'm pretty sure the game would host deaths and atrocities beyond disbelief, so be grateful I don't.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Silence and Situational

I sat around in the dungeons below Hollow Bastion. I complied with Ansem's bold request, regardless of how ridiculous it may have posed. I could easily contemplate the results of telling the man with no heart "No".

And let me tell you, the walk to the bottom of the castle is dreadful! From the highest of Hollow Bastion to the very bottom, it was torture at its finest. I knew for a fact I couldn't even reach the main lobby without getting lost. Even if I could bust out, running would be futile. Perhaps they will let me go after they find out I am useless. It's unlikely, but not impossible. Worst case scenario is that they'd kill me, or make me surrender my heart. Best case scenario is that they would allow me to stay, which I very little approved of that thought. I don't know which idea sounded much more appealing.

The cell was damp. Yes, damp. Water dripped from the ceiling, and it was _extremely_ cold in here. What's worse is that I've been here for about five hours. I wasn't keeping track, but I could just feel it. Whichever architect made this castle made very little efforts to accommodate their prisoners. The dungeons, from what she could remember, stood beside or under the frozen lake by Hollow Bastion. I huddled up against my knees, and hugged myself in a fruitless attempt to regain some warmth. The cell stunk, and the bed wasn't even a bed. It was solid rock. Of course it was. The only thing that was actually made with nurture was the bars sustaining its prisoners from escape. And, from what I noticed, not all prisoners had gotten out too often...take this guy, Mr. Bones, I will call him, for example. All eroded and motionless. Distasteful. I'd hate to be a replica design for a future newcomer to see on display.

I felt a bulge in my pocket. It rumbled quietly. I reached inside to find an odd sense of relief. My iPhone, of course. Without even thinking, I dialed 911 in a panicked attempt.

"_You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no longer in service_," said my iPhone.

I hit 'End Call' and slid against the cold wall. Of course it didn't work. How could it work? I was in a different universe. And, given the fact that the police did answer, what would I tell them? 'Help, I am trapped in a video game castle with a bunch of Disney Villains!' No, that didn't sound very credible, much to my chagrin.

I messed with other features, such as music, and other apps. Flappy Bird was there, which was my least favorite. Like, seriously. I think they made that game just to cause a sense of indignity to its users. I sighed and played some music. I was relieved that that still worked.

There were no guards to watch me from below, so it didn't matter that I had a little fun and made some noise. I figured guards weren't stationed because practically all of the old predecessors, besides myself, of course, had been reduced to rubble...that, or bones. I shuddered and had trouble trying to be calm and happy. The only thing that kept me from lapsing into a psychotic panic attack was that I kept assuring myself that this was one dream, induced by the reading of Kingdom Hearts fanfics. It felt a little more realistic.

I quickly shut off my music as I heard an echo of footsteps tap down the steps. I didn't want to chance that they had heard my iPhone and take it, so I shoved it in my pocket hurriedly.

As said person came into focus, I crossed my arms. It was Hades.

"Hello, little worm!" he cried cheerfully.

"Uh...Hello," I waved as steadily as I could.

"Don't be so shy, kid!" he cheered. He snapped hid fingers and the dungeon doors burned open. So much for care. I, on the other hand, scurried out. "We've all gathered for an audience with you!" cheered Hades before he whispered to me, pretending as though others were listening, "Of course, those fools had sent me to be the messenger, as usual."

"Whaddya mean, 'We've all'?!" I demanded.

"Don't worry, girly, you're in good hands!" he grabbed my arm forcefully, and tugged me towards the staircase. His grip kind of hurt. He acted as though he didn't hear my statement. "Ugh. These cells are too damp for my liking!"

_Maybe that's because you're made of fire_, I wanted to say. But didn't. After all, I did want to try to at least stay on the villains' good side if anything. I was pretty glad he didn't address the sound of my music. I liked to jam out as much as the next person, but being reprimanded would have a bold impact on my chances of survival. So I can always jam on later.

Up the stairs, I looked at Hades, with as calm of look as I could possibly muster, "Couldn't you just...I don't know...teleport us up there?"

"I could, actually. But I use fire to reach places. If you were to travel by fire, you'd be mere ash," he said in a matter-of-factly tone.

Hades had a very large ego in Kingdom Hearts, and nothing had changed still. The ego didn't annoy me as much as me being defenseless did. Sure, Heartless were kind to me, but they didn't obey me. That's another story.

We past what I remembered to be the library on the way up. I glanced at it from a side view. Hades wasn't stupid. He noticed me observing it. "Ah, the Library. One of my _least_ favorite places!"

"Yeah, I can agree there," I said. I hated reading. Well, except fanfics. Reading aside, altogether: yuck.

The lobby looked so punctual. An onlooker could have assumed it would be worthy of hosting a five-star party should it not have been inhabited by blood-thirsty beasts.

Entering the lobby was none other than our very own Maleficent, Captain Hook, Oogie Boogie, Ursula, and Jafar. Sitka was sitting in a throne behind the group. The villains circled a table around them. There was one empty spot reserved, and since Ansem wasn't here...

"_Sit_," Maleficent demanded, as though I was trying her patience. I nodded reluctantly, and sat down with the villains. This could not be good.

"Would you like something to eat...Sayla?" Sitka whispered from her throne sweetly.

Before I could agree, because I never turn down free food, Maleficent held up her disgusting green hand. "No, she is not to be treated until she answers all of our questions."

Yep, not good.

"Well, she just appears out of hoozah, and the Keyhole and heartless just suddenly accept her? It is rather suspicious, if I do say so myself," inquired Captain Hook.

It wasn't like I asked for heartless to like me. They scare the hell out of me. And I definitely didn't want to end up among the enemy.

"True, but she could be of use! I say we stuff her like a doll!" clapped Oogie.

I almost screamed in fear, before Sitka giggled. "He's just teasing."

"Oh. That was _hilarious_," I cried sarcastically.

"Even so, one of our main concerns revolve around this: How did you get here? Or, on the other hand, where are you from?" asked Maleficent boredly.

I couldn't just tell them I am from Earth and that they're from a video game series. Besides, no one would buy that. I'd just end up with more jail time and become the next Mr. Bones. I couldn't afford to tell the whole truth. But I couldn't afford lies either.

"I...I just went to sleep in my bed...and woke up..." should I mention the Station of Awakening? No...Too risky. "...woke up in the Keyhole."

I knew that Sitka knew of my whereabouts. And, to be perfectly clear, I had no idea how I went from the comfort of my bed one day, to prisoner of a castle the next. Sitka didn't say anything. She was surprisingly quiet, but understanding. She kind of reminded me of the unborn Naminé.

"And," time to change the subject, "I am from another world."

I didn't feel very comfortable changing the subject to that, either. I felt stupid.

"But the heartless are attached to you. How is that?" asked Jafar.

"I don't know?" I answered. I really didn't. But, I was actually glad the heartless were nice to me, because I'd only make it halfway up a small flight of stairs before dying.

"You fool, she must have a darkened heart!" Ursula chanted. "She must be _that one_!"

"_Silence_!" Sitka shouted angrily, her veil flying out of her face. No one had ever seen her raged so much. I think that scared me more than the villains.

Under Sitka's veil, she had dark grey eyes, like a stormy cloud. She had black hair, and extremely pale skin. She reminded me of a porcelain doll, except human. The frail detail was roughly the same. As her veil covered her eyes, she whispered again, lightly, "Sorry for the outburst...But she must not know. You'll scare her. It's too soon."

"Since when did you have any say-so in this?" asked Hades.

In retaliation, Sitka pulled her veil back on top of her face. She stopped talking, knowing that it was apparently her proper place of being.

"As little as I'd like to admit, she is right," grimaced Maleficent. She stood up from her seat, and pointed her staff at me. "Sayla, is it?"

"Y-yes..." I stood up slowly.

"I have, after this interview, decided to spare you," said Maleficent.

I immediately saluted the witch and went to leave. Captain Hook lunged into my collar to keep me from taking off. I looked at Captain Hook bitterly.

"But," Maleficent turned away from me, "there are rules."

"Name them," Sitka directed.

"For starters, you will respect each and everyone of us. Any sign of insubordination is grounds for execution. You are not to enter the library-" Maleficent said.

"None of us are," said Oogie.

"...Don't _ever_ interrupt me, you sack of bugs!" Maleficent shrieked, sending a flash of green fire his way dangerously. Oogie tilted his head, and dodged it. I felt uneasy around this group of obvious sadists.

It was one thing to speak out during Maleficent's speech, but another to intrude while the witch was speaking. I kept in mind to never interrupt her, or, on that note, not to piss her off, period.

After Maleficent calmed down, she faced me again. "Stay out of the room where the Keyhole resides. Do everything we say, no matter how absurd the request. Sitka, show her to her room. That is all. You all are dismissed."

And with that, Maleficent disappeared. I had hardly started to accept the awful jargon that was my captivity. I wanted nothing more than to just go home and undergo the torture of a two weeks' grounding.

I watched as the other villains disappeared with their own methods. Oogie turned into a bunch of bugs and crawled away carrying his own skin (or was it a bag?), Ursula disappeared in a cloud of ink bubbles, and Jafar used some sort of dark magic embedded within his staff. Hades burned a blue fire and was gone. Captain Hook was the only one who didn't have magical properties. He merely grumbled as he made his way up the stairs.

I approached Sitka's throne, not noticing how fearful my expression was. Sitka leaped out of her throne, and faced me.

"I know, back to the dungeons," I sighed, not in a hurry to go. I would rather sleep on the ground in the lobby before going back.

"No, since the jurisdiction decided you were innocent, you pose no threat...practically speaking, you will get the privileges of a guest, but in the form of a prisoner," said Sitka lightly. "You get a room."

"Really?! Yay!" I pumped my fist into the air feeling, for once, since I got here, relieved.

"You mean...you don't hate us?"

"Well, not the entirety, no," I giggled. "But you seem pretty nice."

I could have swore Sitka looked reminiscent under her veil. She shook off her look of mixed feelings, and pulled her veil off. She looked at me, and I met her gaze.

"You were the one who met me in the Station of Awakening, weren't you?" I asked.

Sitka hushed me, as we traveled through a flight of stairs and a few electric switches. The switches could only be activated by metal, or a weapon. If you were to do it by hand, chances were you'd be petrified and risk death.

"Yes, I was trying to warn you," Sitka said seriously, as the elevator started going upwards.

It was a nice feeling knowing you wouldn't have to sleep in a dark, rustic, cold chamber.

"So, can I get back to my world?" I asked.

"It's too risky at this point. Even if you tried to leave, and got caught, they'd kill you, and turn the heartless against you," Sitka bit her lip.

That's right. The heartless weren't on the war path with me. I'd rather it stay that way.

"Please," I begged, clenching my fists, "tell me this is one awful nightmare."

"I wish I could say the same thing," Sitka glanced away with uncertainty.

I resigned, and pulled out my iPhone. I started playing my favorite rock songs out loud. Sitka looked at me weirdly.

"Uh...what's that?"

"It's a music device from my world. I can play music here if I want," I explained, sweatdropping.

It's the only thing I can still hold on to. My personality said optimist and free spirit, but my conscience said rock star of the galaxy. Whatever. I tried looking at the bright sides of this situation, but hardly found any.

When she showed me into my room, I noticed how dark it was. It was solid and had no windows. Just like my dungeon room, it was cold because of the high elevation, I assumed. At least it looked more presentable, and the bed was an actual bed, not a large boulder shaped like a bed.

I turned to Sitka nervously. I tapped both my fingers together, and mustered an eager smile. "Mind showing me to the kitchen?"

"Oh, yeah! Of course! I'm sorry!" Sitka winced as though I would punch her.

I would have asked why she winced, but my hunger detained me from my striving motivation to do anything. I hadn't eaten anything since I was reading my fanfics yesterday.

* * *

The kitchen was a dark black. Typical. The stove fire was malevolent green. Sure, okay. But what really annoyed me was that all the furniture was a solid, jet black color as well. It made it harder than it should have been to navigate in there. I opened a few cabinets, and found foods I have never heard of. I felt a strain of relief when I ran into familiar ingredients. I found a box of batter, and smiled.

"It's breakfast time!" I smiled at Sitka.

She gave me a confused gesture. I smiled. "If you could, find me a whisk, a bowl, and a frying pan."

She did as instructed, hastily. She handed me the cooking equipment. I cheered happily, "Thanks!"

I mixed the batter in with water inside the bowl. I balanced the mixture carefully. I made sure not to make it too runny, or to dry. After that, I started stirring the batter.

"What are you making?" asked Sitka curiously.

"Pancakes," I replied cheerfully. "You'll love it. Cooking is one of my favorite stress-relievers. It's also a plus, as it's a good late-night snack, plus pancakes are delicious!"

Sitka tilted her head. "Is that a recipe on your world?"

I snorted. "Yeah! I am crazy about pancakes...or waffles."

"Waffles? There are other recipes in your world?"

"Yep!" I said, using a giant spoon to gently place the batter on the frying pan sitting on the stove. "Tons. I haven't even begun to explain all the others I know how to cook."

So I explained to her what foods my world has . She was aghast just listening to my stories, as I placed the done pancakes on a plate for us to eat.

We sat at the black dining table with our black table ware. I only made pancakes for two. She grabbed her knife and fork, and started to cut it. I already had cut mine into little dices. I typically would have put syrup on it, but didn't think there was any.

Sitka looked reluctantly at her meal, as though it would pop up and attack her.

"What?" I ask, confused.

"I don't know..." she said skeptically.

"I'm not _that_ bad of a cook," I retorted.

"I know...but...Ugh," she resigned finally, and smiled weakly, and bit into her flapjack. Her eyes lit up happily. "Mmm! This is delicious!"

I smiled triumphantly. "What did I tell you?"

"You need to give me the recipe sometime," she laughed.

And so we enjoyed our late-night meal. I had to have Sitka show me back to my room. I still couldn't navigate entirely without getting lost. Sitka assured me that she would be back the next morning to help me get back downstairs.

Okay, time to draw out a map. I had a drawing app on my iPhone and drew a circle, indicating that was my room. When I left, I would continue to make a map, just in case. It was nice to know certain locations, because once I found an opportunity to leave, I would.

Now, at what point in the game am I at? Well, Ansem is still a premature disembodied heart. So that must mean Riku hasn't given up his body...yet. That means that this is taking place right before the events of Kingdom Hearts 1. The only thing I can do is wait for Sora to come to my rescue. Even that will take a while.

I looked at my iPhone. It was at 56%. I decided I would have to conserve that battery level, seeing as I cannot charge it.

"There's more to this than Maleficent is telling," I muttered, putting my iPhone away.

I tucked into my actual comfortable bed, and soon found myself falling asleep. I figured that when I wake up, I will be back home, in my own bed.

* * *

**A/N: Uh, oh! Trouble's brewing, and it looks to me like Sayla is stuck! And there's more to the situation than meets the eye! Why can't she, or anyone else be in the library?! Why is Sitka so uncertain?!**

**Can anyone guess what reason they have for sparring Sayla? Disney Villains are typically ruthless and just wouldn't spare her out of the kindness of their heart. And, before anyone guesses, nupe, Sayla is not a Princess of Heart.**

**I hate to leave you on a cliffhanger, buuuttt...Stay tuned ;)**

**Review! I LOVE REVIEWS! So you gotta review :D!**


	3. Chapter 3: New Friend, No Freedom

**A/N: Hello? Er...is this thing working?...*Taps at microphone***

**HELLO ALL :D! I have seen my story traffic skyrocket, and I just want to say thanks to each and everyone of you epic peoples!**

**Trust me, I won't have Sayla stay at Hollow Bastion too much longer. My summary kinda gave it away that she'd travel with Sora ^_^; Haha. But still, expect the unexpected :3! I will have you all on the edge of yours seats and shatting bricks (possibly). So I shall cease my ranting so you can proceed! GO KH!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, only Sora would have a Keyblade. Not a thousand characters xD.**

* * *

Chapter Three: New Friend, No Freedom

Yet, even though I thought I was damned to an incursion, I found myself adjusting to the torment that was Hollow Bastion. It's been about a few days since the meeting, and a few more since I have been away from home.

If I ever got home, I knew I would be in so much trouble.

These past few days weren't completely awful. It would have been worse if I didn't have some guidance from someone like Sitka. She seemed shy around all the others, but seemed to be more open with me. Granted, she still was reserved, but spoke to me like I was a friend.

Wait, shouldn't that be the other way around?

"Can I see your iPhone?" asked Sitka as we strode toward the lobby.

"Sure," I said, handing it to her. I was a bit reluctant so I could conserve my battery level.

Along the way to the lobby we ran into Large Bodies who rolled around joyously. I feared they would sit on me and crush me. I didn't let their weight structure fool me. I knew those things could jump.

Sitka, who seemed to notice my unease, guided me to the loft and we strode down an elevator until we hit the main centre. The library was connected directly to the Entrance Hall, which was what I soon figured out that was what they called "the lobby".

"What is so secret about the library, Sitka?" I asked. It piqued into my nosy interest to know.

"I don't know. No one does," Sitka sat at the edge of the fountain. "Ansem forbids all of us from entering. Although, I am pretty sure Maleficent knows."

"You think that nosebleed Ansem wrote love letters to Maleficent?" I smirked.

Sitka laughed. "More like poetry!"

We continued to laugh as Pete strode in. Wait, he wasn't supposed to appear until Kingdom Hearts 2...?

"What's so funny?!" growled Pete. He tried to act fearful, but slipped on the wet floors of the lobby.

Even villains had to keep their fortress of destruction a clean haven, even if that meant soaking the floors wet. My guess was that Ursula just splattered the floor with water destructively. It was careless, but it worked, you know.

Hygiene is a must to me. You know what they say: Cleanliness is next to godliness.

"Um, need a helping hand?" I asked, raising an eyebrow, holding back my bemused expression.

"I'll show you a helping hand! Attack!" he pointed and heartless worked their way toward me.

I was about to run. Seriously. But Sitka grabbed my arm, shook her head, and motioned me to sit beside her at the fountain.

The heartless just stopped in confusion.

"She is among us. She is helping us restore Kingdom Hearts," said Sitka quietly, pulling her veil over her face.

I am? Huh. I didn't know I was.

"Sitka?" Pete stumbled up. "Is she a new recruit?"

Nope!

"Yep," Sitka opened up a fan and started waving herself.

I looked at her like she had lost her mind. There was no way I could do something as criminal as steal Kingdom Hearts. Maybe she was just lying.

"This little squirm? Ha! You'd have a better chance just to feed her to the heartless!" inquired Pete.

"At least I am able to tie my own shoe," I snapped. Sitka and I laughed.

Pete approached me again, but slipped, again. Somehow Sitka and my laughter had evolved into screams of amusement.

"Gah, I don't have time for this!" Pete recovered and scurried up to the Lift Stop.

"Don't trip!" I advised.

We could hear him grumble inappropriate, vulgar things that I was certain Disney characters were not supposed to say...

"Pete is such a turd. You'll get used to it," Sitka revealed her face again, smiling.

I thought about it for a second. Could I leave the same way he got here? I chose my wording carefully. "How did someone as uncoordinated as he get here?"

"Something to do with the power to control heartless. They use the darkness to travel," Sitka said, shifting comfortably. "You can only obtain said power by it being handed down to you. I have dark powers, but I haven't surrendered my heart to the heartless. Controlling the heartless and having dark powers are two very similar, but very different things."

That explained why I couldn't control the heartless. But did I have dark powers? Did I even have powers?

Nah. If I did, I would have already left.

* * *

It looked to me that each passing day leaving was starting not to become an option. But, hey, I'm not angry, sad, or nervous! On the contrary, I will try to make the most of it and talk as little as possible.

Okay, I exaggerated on the angry part. I was a little annoyed that I had to clear the halls of the castle, and herd the heartless to the front most part of Hollow Bastion to station themselves as guards.

Getting them to follow me wasn't easy. I had to get their attention by screaming and whistling. All the while, Sitka had to go and meet with Maleficent and Ansem. Probably more Kingdom Hearts plotting.

I managed to make it back to the Entrance Hall. I had been drawing a map on my iPhone, which was at an ungodly 13% life span. At least it worked. I prevented myself from listening to music and stuff altogether until I could memorize the pathways.

I had always dreamed of living in a castle, but now that I am, I have to say I hate it. I hate it. Castles are messy, even without the heartless, and impossible to keep up with. On top of that, you get lost way too easily.

Heck, I'd love to live in a tent sitting in the rain than a castle!

After I guided the heartless away, my next task was to mop the halls. I admit, I hardly even tried. I kind of half-assed it as I walked down the hall, admiring the portraiture along the way. The musty detail told me just how old this castle was. Hundreds.

Yeah, I knew this was the former Radiant Garden castle, but the architecture showed me that it had inhabitants from ages ago. It was just incredible scenery, truth be told. And it wasn't a matter of opinion-it was a matter of fact!

I found myself drifting into a very familiar black door. I creaked it open. It was dark on the inside. Since this room didn't have a light switch, I just left the door open as a source of light. It was the kitchen!

I felt my stomach grumble. "Meh. A little bit of food couldn't hurt."

And I was sure everyone else was out in their own world's. Oogie sounded excited to go back to Halloween Town to scare the unsuspecting.

I shuffled through the cabinets. I didn't want pancakes twice in a row. I figured I would make vegetable soup. I collected the black crock pot, and filled it with cans of diced tomatos. I let it simmer. I was surprised they had canned foods here.

While it was simmering, I found potatos and carrots. I diced the carrots on a chopping board by the sink, and tossed it inside the soup. In the fridge was a bag of green beans and corn. I pulled those out and sat them on the counter. I would let those unthaw a little before adding those to the pot.

I was humming some music while I peeled the potatoes.

"Sora will come for me...and when he does, oh boy will they get it!" I squeezed a potato in fury. Much to my chagrin, said potato splattered. The white mush from the inside of the potato really brought out the color from the dark kitchen.

"Who is 'Sora'?" somebody asked.

I turn around frantically, stopping in my tracks. At the entrance, I saw Iago, the bird...parrot thing. No, wait. He was indeed a parrot.

"No one," I said bitterly, continuing to dice the potatoes.

"Ooh! He's your boyfriend, isn't he?!" joked Iago. Unfortunately, I didn't find his jokes so humorous.

"I don't think you should be testing my patience, especially since I have got a butcher's knife in hand," I glanced sidewardly at the bird, "and I wasn't planning on adding bird to the vegetable soup."

Iago gasped in disgust. I snorted. Wow, these sadists are staring to rub off on me, aren't they?

"You're too innocuous, you wench," blabbered Iago.

Sure, I had to agree there. I thought that about myself from the get-go.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be tormenting people with Jafar?" I asked jokingly.

"Not today!" spat Iago, flapping into the kitchen. He stayed out of arm's range, uncertain if I would cut him. I was still contemplating the idea of doing it myself. Smart bird.

"Oh...Then what're you doing in the kitchen? I thought you only ate bird feed?" I narrowed my eyes.

It seemed too convenient that the bird was there.

"I liked the smell!" smiled Iago as largely as he could. I could tell that was the _I am lying_ smile that only Disney characters could muster.

I bet Iago was supposed to stay here, and not go back to Agrabah, to keep an eye on me. I mean, he is the most stealthy and smallest. Just one problem with that. He was also the most loudest.

"Iago," I sighed, "tell me the truth. Spill it."

"That is the truth, honest!" he cried.

I cringed. "Sure, and so is the fact that I am secretly a five star ninja." I liked being sarcastic. I wasn't a real ninja, but the thought of being one seemed incredulous.

When Iago fell silent with no comeback, I tossed the potatoes into the bowl, and took a seat. I looked for a clock, but there wasn't one. I checked my iPhone time, and it was only 3pm. I had a few hours to kill.

"So, what is this vegetable soup you speak so fondly of?" asked Iago.

"Soup. You know, with vegetables."

Iago rolled his eyes. I giggled, and continued, "It's a recipe from my world. And it is deliciousness."

Seriously, did these characters know what they were missing out on?! I may not be a professional culinary artist, but I knew good taste when I saw it.

I actually kind of wished someone from this world would show me their foods and recipes. I'd like to try it, and then possibly steal the recipe.

What did Disney Villains feast on? Fear? Suspense? Anticipation? Maybe heartless...or people. I shuddered at those thoughts. Yeah, I'd better not ask.

"You should be getting back to work!" cried Iago.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why? This castle is so big, that they can't possibly keep tabs on me 24/7. And besides, I'm hungry; I'll finish it later."

"But-"

"Oh my God, _why do you care_?!" I snapped. I had a lot of patience, but Iago was a special kind of annoying. I got up, and stared Iago in the face, smirking darkly. "It's not like they told you to keep an eye on me or anything, right?"

Iago panicked, and flew backwards. As Iago made his aerial pivot, he ran right into a frying pan hanging up. I winced as Iago fell to the floor, disoriented.

"I guess that answers my question," I sweatdropped, placing the parrot on the black dining table. He looked dizzy.

I grabbed a wash cloth, and took two ice cubes from the fridge to make an ice pack. Typically, I would have added more, but Iago was small, and I didn't want to give the disoriented bird hypothermia.

I placed the little rag on Iago's head. That was when I noticed the bird was laying on the table. Disgusting. I knew I'd have to clean it after Iago recovered

To disguise this mishap, I grabbed the mop, and slowly scrubbed the floors. It was more of a time killer, if anything. Because I wasn't even washing the floors. I just made it look like by the time someone may enter I was just doing my job.

"Uhh...Two plus two equals fish," Iago murmured after about ten minutes.

"Yes. Yes it does," I said inadvertently, focusing my attention more on the food, than the bird who suffered.

What can I say? Iago brought it on himself. I didn't feel that bad for the bird. And besides, it did shut him up successfully. It was a start, nevertheless.

The next couple of hours drifted by. The castle seemed vacant from a respective viewpoint, and I half-considered that Ansem, Maleficent, and Sitka had left me here alone.

Not that I felt like I was in danger, anyway. If a perpetrator should come, the chances of he or she getting lost was high. Not to mention the heartless. I snickered.

Then again, they all could still be upstairs, drawing out a map to capture the Princesses of Heart.

Since I know what is going to happen, is it unfair that I am not trying anything to stop it? I mean, there's nothing I could technically do. I don't wield a Keyblade, let alone know how to fight. I hated listening to my conscious, but it told me that, in order to survive, I had to be silent and do as I was told.

Iago pulled his wing over his face, making it seem like he was shielding his self from a brutal sun on the beach. He shook his head, and pushed the rag off of him.

"You!" Iago pointed to me.

"Me?" I ask, stirring the soup a little more.

_Perfect! It is almost done!_ I cheered silently. I was perplexed at the amazing work I did softening the cut potatoes in the boiling water.

"You knocked me out, didn't you?! Guards!" cried Iago.

I clasped a hand over Iago's annoying mouth, and sighed, "No, I didn't. You knocked yourself out, and I actually was helping you recover."

"W...Why would you help me, you brat?!" said Iago through gritted teeth.

"Well, why not?" I shrugged, dipping a large spoon into the crock pot, blowing at it to cool it down, and sipping it.

Iago seemed speechless. Which was still fine to me.

"Mmm! It's done!" I smiled.

I handed Iago a small plate of starch and bacon bits...I think that's what those were, anyway. After I did that, I made a bowl of my soup, and sat beside the now-recovering parrot. I had to wait for the soup to cool off.

"Thanks," said Iago, dumbfounded.

He started to peck at the food like a bird would with bits of bread tossed out to them at the park. It was a little weird and unnatural.

"Don't mention it. Seriously. Don't," I inquired.

I don't know how the villains would feel about me menacing through their kitchen and then cooking without permission. Surely they would see the crock pot of vegetable soup, though. I half-wondered if I could poison the soup and have them eat it.

It'd be too risky. They would catch on to me in no time flat. Better not rouse them up.

Iago and I conversed about several different things, mostly pertaining to heartless. I nearly ate my soup whole after it cooled. It was really tasteful. I found myself yawning and I shrugged. "Thanks for being cool, Iago, but I am going to my room. See ya."

"Hey, wait a sec!" called Iago.

I left the kitchen, and entered the lift stop. As I elevated, I checked my iPhone time. 7pm. Damn, I spent too much time cooking.

The elevator came to an abrupt stop, and its magical properties transported me off the platform and onto the surface again. It was strange how the Lift Stop worked.

I went to turn a corner, but I saw Pete and Captain Hook approach me. Oh great, I rolled my eyes.

"It's that little brat from before!" Pete made a fist angrily.

"At least I'm not clumsy enough to keep slipping," I retorted, implying his humorous failure from earlier.

"Don't give that brat a higher ego than she already has," said Captain Hook. "I am surprised they haven't killed you at our meeting, I am."

"Shiver me timbers, Hook," I raised an eyebrow. Talking pirate was fun. But getting under Hook's skin was funner.

I liked messing with the villains' short tempers. Of course, to a certain extent, obviously. I didn't have a death wish.

"Let's not waste our time on her. Hmmph!" smirked Pete, as he and Captain Hook got onto the Lift Stop.

I rolled my eyes and went to my room.

Now that I got a basic idea of what the rooms of the castle looked like and where they were located, tomorrow I will try to find any possible escape routes.

As I have learned from dear Lemony Snicket, there was _always_ a way.

* * *

**A/N: YUS! Thanks for thee reviews :D and the Favorites/Follows. Seriously, you guys rock!**

**Do you like my plot so far? I try to add plenty of comedy to keep you guys going :D**

**This story was to fill in some characterization and junk xD I wanted to analyze my ability to keep Disney Villains in character whilst conversating with our dear Sayla. Plus it was to show how stuck she feels.**

**Holy Hearts! Why is Pete at the castle?! Will Sayla find an escape so easily?!**

**There is only that one way to find out ;D**

**REVIEW :D! PLEASSSEEE REVIEW CX! I wanna know if my OC is a Mary Sue, what you think of the plot, etc, etc. xD!**

**Review, Favorite, and/or Follow :D**


	4. Chapter 4: It's a Heart-Knock Life

**A/N: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS/FAVORITES/FOLLOWS ETC. ^_^! I'm so happy you guys actually like my story so far :D**

**I'm so sorry for the slow update! Three days is way too long of a wait D:**

**I had this chapter all prepared and editededed (yeah, that big word XD) but I wanted to go back and add humor here and there so it wouldn't be a boring read :D**

**And plus you get to see a little bit of Riku. I won't give too much of that away. :D**

**50 Brownie Points to whomever can guess what parody this chapter title derived from XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, but if I did Toy Story definitely would have been a world by now! :0**

* * *

Chapter 4: It's a Heart-Knock Life

I started to get out of my bed lifelessly and to the door. I stretched. Being able to wake up to my grounding at home felt like waking up to Christmas Morning, heavenly.

I didn't see my typical window shining light. It looked to me like there wasn't any windows. Weiiirrrd. I kind of disregarded it for morning weariness. That, or my parents boarded up my room.

Ah, _home sweet home_!

And hey, it did feel like something they would probably do, after all!

I yawned, "I'm going to tell my folks what a crazy dream I had." With that, I pushed my covers off and startled towards the door. I pushed it open, and found myself in the Lift Stop of Hollow Bastion. Of course.

_Ugh. Maybe all of this isn't a dream._

_No, it is. Don't be crazy._

_But why did it feel so real?_

_Get a hold of yourself! My name is Sayla Baker, and I am hallucinating!_

_...I'M NOT CRAZY._

_Then why are you talking to yourself?_

My short-lived thoughts were interrupted as Hades came into focus. Oh, joy. I restrained myself from rolling my eyes.

"Ah, you're awake, little worm!" cheered Hades.

I wished I wasn't. Sleep was the foundation of mixed solitude and freedom. At least, whatever freedom I probably had left.

"Yeah, man," I nodded, and started to walk away. My original plan was not to talk to any of the Disney Villains. I couldn't risk it; I was too helpless if anything went wrong.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Hades, appearing directly in front of me with his blue fire.

"I don't know. I was thinking about getting some breakfast," I said, as I tried to circle away him, but to no avail. I sighed, and then resigned. "Dude, what do you want?"

He smirked triumphantly, his I-am-a-winner smile growing. "We are gathering for a meeting, and we need you to show up."

Another meeting, huh? It looks to smile they're starting to get serious about creating Kingdom Hearts. Which meant bad news. Really bad. But, still, I wondered why they needed me to go. I was useless to the making of Kingdom Hearts, and I sure as heck wasn't going to help them.

There was a fine line between helping them and tolerating them.

"Why?" I asked, mystified.

"Because we need a servant at hand to fetch us drinks, snacks, etc.," explained Hades.

I just laughed, "Forget it!" I started to march away. I'm sure Hades probably thought I was some sort of fool if I was going to say yes.

"But, I have something you might want."

"There is nothing you can or could _possibly_ bribe me with," I said as I hastily turned around.

When I saw the item in Hades hand, I felt as though I had utterly contradicted myself. My jaw dropped in disbelief. He had my iPhone charger. And, believe it or not, there were outlets at Hollow Bastion, even though they weren't commonly seen in an everyday room.

"Quid pro quo," smirked Hades.

I considered the offer for a few seconds, before reaching my verdict. "Okay, Lord of the Underworld, Hades," I bowed. It was all an act, of course. And besides, my iPhone was dwelling on 3%, which wasn't at all good. But, if there was anything I learned about Disney Villains, it's that they don't play fair. I half-doubted he'd give me my iPhone charger, even if I was the servant of the day.

But why wouldn't he give me it? He obviously had no use for it.

I was aghast that he knew I had an iPhone. Maybe they were keeping tabs on me...I know I haven't shown anyone-not even Iago.

Wait...I showed it to Sitka. Ugh.

"Excellent!" cried Hades. "We will be in the Keyhole Room later on. We'll send somebody to fetch you, then."

"You got it, hothead," I said bitterly.

I figured it must be an important meeting if I was allowed in the Keyhole Room. I mean, it's at the peak of Hollow Bastion and heavily guarded. Plus, I suspected that's the only place Ansem lived. I wondered if he ever got out too often.

Sometimes I did see Ansem go into the library. Sometimes.

I watched as Hades disappeared in a cloud of fire. I was still disapproving of the feeling that I was constantly being watched. I remembered in the game the villains had a magic panel that displayed Sora, Donald, and Goofy when they were not suspecting it during their journey. The magic panel reminded me of what a magic ball should be.

* * *

"No, don't do that, you stupid Neoshadow!" I snapped as it slapped a Yellow Opera.

I found it annoying that I had to control the level at which heartless fight. I didn't know they could fight among themselves. Was it because pureblood heartless only will fight emblem heartless? I was confused.

I have never seen purebloods engage in combat among themselves, vice versa with emblems.

I returned to Entrance Hall, and took a weary seat on the fountain. Could I really put up with this for a few more weeks? Or maybe even months? I wondered how long it'd be until Sora got here.

Probably a long time. He hasn't even started his journey yet. I sighed exasperatedly.

"She looks like she is having a rough time."

"I'll say!"

"Shush! She can probably hear us, you know!"

My eyes shot open at the sound of three new voices. I looked around frantically, and looked shocked, "Who said that? Are you, like, stalking me or something?!"

I swear if it was Iago, I was going to resentfully pluck his little feathers, one after one.

"See, I told you," one inquired.

I looked up to find the source of the voice. No villains or any humanely being whatsoever.

But there were a certain three statues looking down at her. Victor, Hugo, and Larvene. Those were the statues from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Quasimodo only could see them because he was too lonely and imprisoned in his bell tower, and made friends with inanimate objects because he basically became insane.

It looks like Quasimodo and I have alot more in common than I thought we did.

"Oh my gosh! Victor, Hugo, Larvene!" I cheered happily.

They weren't Disney Villains. They were the good guys! For the first time, I met Disney Heroes-ish.

I bet their world was eaten up by darkness and they ended up here.

"How do you know our name's?" asked Hugo in surprise.

Crap. I shouldn't have said that. I giggled, regardless. It was still pretty cool to be in the presence of them.

"Someone else had told me your names," I lied.

"It's not like we were born yesterday! Why would we give them our names, or even talk to those idiots for that matter?" questioned Larvene.

"We like to stay inanimate, but _someone_," Victor looked at Hugo rather annoyed, "blew our cover."

"Hey, this girl seems to mean well!" chanted Larvene.

"So did that other girl...Sukia?" Victor shrugged.

"_Sitka_!" Hugo, Larvene, and I cried in unison.

I snorted. This was so cool. At least I had friends, and friends that I felt like I could actually trust. I felt like I could trust Sitka, but not with too much.

I tilted my head at the mention of Sitka's name. Sitka didn't seem like the one to cause trouble.

"What did she do?" I asked in awe.

"I'll tell you what she did!" Hugo made a fist.

"There's no time! It was nice meeting you, dude!" Larvene turned back into solid stone.

The other statues heard somebody approaching. I didn't hear it until the sound came closer. I watched as they returned to their petrified state of being.

"Hey, come back!" I snapped.

"Who are you talking to?" asked Maleficent, coming into focus.

"M-Maleficent!" I squeaked in shock. "I was just talking to a soldier who was chipping the paint off of the walls...but it scurried away."

"Intriguing," chirped Maleficent, as she strode beside me. "I have summoned you for the meeting. Come."

I nodded, and glanced behind me to see the statues. Maybe they weren't animate, and I was actually so desperate for a real friend that I was talking to inanimate objects. It was a possibility.

* * *

I'll have to say, Maleficent was pretty darn slow going up to the Keyhole Room. She took her time, and it felt like she was taking baby steps. She didn't speak to me the entire way up.

"So, what's this 'Keyhole' of yours do, anyway?" I asked.

"None of your concern, wench," said Maleficent arrogantly. "Do not speak unless someone addresses you first. Act like a decent young lady, not a careless rat."

Man, Maleficent was rude! It was just a question, after all. That doesn't give her the right to call me a wench, or a rat, does it?! I can see why, besides Ansem, she is the ring leader among the villains.

"If you say so..." I sighed, defeated.

We past the dark chapel, which indicated we were close. Little did Maleficent know, this Chapel would be the room where Sora, Donald, and Goofy would vanquish her human form from.

We strode into the Keyhole Room, and sitting in the first seat was Ansem. It looked as though everyone else were waiting for us.

Maleficent sat down, and smirked wickedly.

"Took you long enough," spoke Jafar.

"I had to fetch our servant," assured Maleficent calmly.

I didn't bother taking a seat. I would just stand. Technically, I wasn't even supposed to be apart of said meeting. Sitka glanced my direction and offered me a smile. I smiled back.

"Time to get down to business," said Ansem. "Kingdom Hearts...Xehanort, my other half, told me to gather an allegiance of allies from world's whom of which host the Princesses of Heart."

"Unfortunately, we don't know for sure that each world even has a princess," murmured Sitka.

"But, I have met a young boy the other day with a strong heart...And I could sense he had a strong connection to a Princess of Heart," inquired Ansem.

That must mean Ansem met Sora in the beginning of the game, when Sora went to look for mushrooms in his usual spot.

"So, you have found a lead," Oogie smiled. "Ooh, that just makes my back crawl with termites!"

Ew, disgusting! If I wasn't so glad to hear about Sora, I'd probably get sick! Oogie was the most precarious villain I have ever met. Sure, he was funny, but he had a bold sense of humor. It wasn't necessarily all that humorous, in my opinion.

"Then we can't waste anymore time," laughed Ursula.

"What do you think, Master Ansem?" asked Maleficent. "After all, this is your plan..."

Ansem's hood faced my direction, and I bit my lip. I'm sure if he had a face, he'd be glaring at me. Fortunately, he turned back to the group. "I agree with Ursula. We need to get this plan on the move...So, tonight, I will visit the Destiny Islands and find the Princess, along with Sitka."

_Tonight_?! That means...that must mean Sora will be starting his journey! I felt a large strain of relief course through me, I couldn't even begin to explain how excited I was.

Although, I wasn't happy about the part of Sora losing his home. I was just happy to know he would be coming.

I know for a fact he will.

"Very well...We will prepare for the Princess's arrival," said Jafar grimly.

The meeting continued over senseless Kingdom Hearts stuff that was starting to bore me. Hades even suggested we incinerate every world to a crisp, but that idea was very quickly shot down.

No one asked me to get them any food, but did have me shoo the heartless away from the meeting table. I chased many of those heartless off with a broom and started wacking them when they didn't obey. The broom didn't hurt the heartless, but managed to scare them off.

I don't get why I have to get rid of the heartless when this entire table has control over heartless...Minus Sitka, and myself, anyway.

When the meeting finally ended, the group disbanded, and I scurried over to Hades.

"I did everything you asked. Can I have my charger?" I asked hurriedly.

My iPhone was at a striking 1%. The singular digit that was mocking me, telling me that it was going to die on me.

"I don't know, can you?" joked Hades.

I sighed, and staggered. I've been down this road before. "May I have my charger?"

"That's not proper enough," he dangled it over my head.

I gritted my teeth. "May I please have my iPhone battery charger, Lord Hades?"

"Nope. You gotta beg," laughed Hades.

"Forget it!" I stomped away. I had more dignity than that. Of course he wouldn't give me my dang charger. I knew he wouldn't return it.

I'm sure Hades liked playing games, but I didn't very much.

* * *

I returned to my room, and messed with my dead iPhone. It was no good. I murmured various things like _Stupid Hades, stupid Kingdom Hearts_.

When I sat on my bed, I started contemplating various things. It was all originally wrote down on my iPhone, but I could no longer access those notes.

Okay, there was something suspicious about Sitka. She wasn't in the game when I played it. She seems to be working for Ansem, but didn't seem to be upset about it. She wasn't like Naminé at all.

What did she do that was so bad that Victor, Hugo, and Larvene were going to tell me about?

What was in the library? Sure, I hated reading as much as the next person, but no one was allowed inside. Was Ansem keeping something hidden in there?

Maybe, like Sitka said, he and Maleficent are writing secret love letters to each other. I snickered. I mean, I could definitely see it. Gross.

How was I going to bust out? I know that I could wait for Sora, but I also need to try to find a way out for myself.

Who knows what they will do to me once the time comes? I was probably going to die if I stayed here long enough. I knew they didn't just let me be held captive for no reason. I didn't even know if waiting for Sora would be an option.

I shook my head, and smiled. I just had to look at the bright side, that's all.

I guessed that when Riku would come, I couldn't get his help. I can't risk trusting him. He will be working for Ansem.

Actually, I wonder how its going out there at the Destiny Islands...

* * *

-*-*- Riku's POV, Third Person -*-*-

Later on that night, at the Papou Tree in Destiny Islands, a storm was brewing significantly and dangerously. Riku was disapproving of the two newcomers, both of whom had mysteriously arrived.

"Who are you, and what did you do with Kairi?!" Riku held up a wooden sword, although he was pretty certain that wouldn't affect his opponent. He tried fighting off heartless with it, but to no avail.

"I understand you want to see other worlds," explained Ansem. "I can give you that power. You, and your friends can all come."

"You mean...Kairi and Sora?" Riku withdrew his sword, mystified. He had a distrustful expression.

Riku wondered why this man would make such an offer. Was it possible that he could see into his heart, and the darkest of his desires.

"Yes, of course," approached a girl in her usual dark veil. "You will be able to see all worlds, and travel new heights you have never seen before."

Ansem, if he had a body, would have smiled at the persuasion of his silver-eyed assistant.

Riku looked away solemnly. He smirked, finding the idea appealing. "What's the deal?"

Sure, even though these strangers were new, they made a decent offer. Who could turn down a free ticket out of this remote wasteland of an island? The least he could do was hear them out.

"These heartless need someone to orchestrate them-to lead them," the female pulled the black veil off of her face, and met Riku's gaze. "And when you travel to different worlds, different dangers will brew. You need to defend yourself...and also your friends too, right?"

Riku looked bitterly at the the female with the veil. She looked lifeless and dark. At night, she resembled a nightingale raven.

"You mean...accept the power of darkness..." muttered Riku, staring at his feet now. He considered the offer. The thunder grew louder with Ansem's patience quickly dwindling.

"It's your choice, Riku..." Ansem stated to approach the boy, but stopped when Riku suddenly drew his wooden sword at him.

"That sword is ineffective..." said Sitka slowly, the wind swaying her veil left to right. "If you would want a proper sword to keep these heartless at bay, you would need come with us."

"Come to our castle to consider our deal...Your friend...Kairi, is it? She will be waiting at our castle," Ansem opened a shady dark portal.

Riku gritted his teeth. He was now angered, and was prepared to kill. "What did you do with her?!"

Riku didn't care as much about his best friend Sora as he did Kairi. He knew Sora wasn't stupid...er, well, not stupid enough to get himself killed, at least. Kairi, on the other hand...

When Ansem didn't answer the question, the silver-eyed assistant looked his direction. Ansem nodded, and she nodded in return. She flushed herself into said portal. Ansem stood at the threshold of the corridor, and glanced at an angry Riku.

"Our offer still stands..." suggested Ansem.

Riku, feeling completely doubtless, consented to the figure angrily. But one thought clearly crossed his mind.

"Fine. Let me tell Sora that the door has opened, first."

* * *

**A/N: Oh, Gosh! It looks like I am starting to reveal more of the truth about Sitka than I should be :3! **

**Look, it's a bird...it's a plane...NO, it's the plot, finally getting its butt into the story XD**

**And I'm sorry about the statues from the Hunchback of Notre Dame XD I just thought it would be cool and suitable for Sayla's situation.**

**Oh, no D: Sayla didn't get her iPhone charger! *spontaneously bursts into tears* **

**What will Riku do when he finds out that the dark forces are holding Kairi captive?**

**And what more when he finds out that a certain servant somehow knows Sora and Kairi?**

**Heehee :3 You shall have your answers soon, ma readers XD**

**Review for a cookie :D (::)! It's chocolate chip ^w^ And Chocolate Chip is the best XD**

**So be sure to Review/Favorite/Follow and stuff, and stay tuned :D!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Prisoner and the Newcomer

**A/N: Star-Shaped-X and Radwoman get Brownie Points for guessing Chapter 3's Title correctly :D It was indeed derived from the song "A Hard-Knock Life" from Annie (Which I do not own XD)**

**I like some classic movies :D I'm a lamer like that I guess XD**

**In this chapter, Riku meets our epic Sayla! Will things go well, or will they go awry :D? Hehe.**

**And, because I felt like my last chapter wasn't humorous enough for my standards, I added lots and lots and lots in this chapter to make up for it :D**

**THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/FAVS/FOLLOWS GUYS *Tosses Cookies at you all***

**By the way, Sayla's love interest will NOT, NOR EVER WILL BE Riku; so don't be mistaken by any weird dialogue XD**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts :P Otherwise, Kingdom Hearts III would have been in stores by nao.**

* * *

Chapter 5: The Prisoner and the Newcomer

"Do it again!" I clapped, sitting at the top of the staircase.

Sitka was dancing on the main floors of the Entrance Hall. She made a dark sphere in her hands and the whole room momentarily turned purple. When other colored heartless came in, it made Rave Red and Neon Green colors that shined brightly.

It was what you would imagine seeing at your local night club.

"Again!" I demanded.

"Sayla, this is getting tiresome!" called Sitka.

"Just one more time," I begged.

Sitka sighed, and tried to summon her dark magic again, but to no avail. I was somewhat disappointed, yet satisfied when I saw her powers faltered.

What, you think I am some stupid girl who likes light shows? That definitely wasn't me.

Sitka had to return to the Chapel to converse with Maleficent and Riku.

I haven't got to meet Riku yet, but I had always seem him by Maleficent or Ansem whenever I had to report to them.

The truth is that I wanted to test how long Sitka could keep up with her dark magic. If I was going to bust out soon, I needed to analyze any and all obstacles.

I even traveled the castle, and learned that I was getting used to the scenery. It was easier for me not to get lost. I kept my eye out for any conspicuous levers or hidden switches, those of which could open a secret passageway.

The other day I knocked a candle off of a nightstand, and it revealed to me a door leading to a small treasure room. There was only one treasure chest in said room, and I found a map and 100 munny.

I found the bathroom corridor, which only hosted one toilet. I found it to be the most rancid room to clean.

Hey, even villains have to do their business too. I called that room the 'Evil Bathroom'.

Let's not go down that route of explanation, though.

I pocketed my munny and decided that if I got out alive, I would use this munny for survival essentials. Even though my iPhone charger felt like an essential itself.

I learned Hades obtained my charger because some of my possessions surfed out of the Keyhole after I did. That's what Ansem said when I complained, anyway. It couldn't have been too much longer, in any case. But, boy did I hate that Hades. I wonder what other stuff I had had that was now out of my grasp.

I half-considered turning my dead iPhone onto a hacky sack.

Maleficent instructed me to scrub the Entrance Hall today, and assured me it had better be done quickly, but efficiently. Punishment for lack of work was apparently suitable by beheading.

Yeah, I decided to get to doing some Spring Cleaning, as Mom always called it.

Mom never tried to punish me by death, though. It was more like taking my iPhone away.

Well, without my iPhone, it was practically a death sentence.

I was waiting for the return of Sitka boredly while I skimmed the dirty room. When she got back, I figured I would ask her to do more magic. If she knew a Thunder Spell, I figured I'd let her electrocute it. I mean, even if she did obliterate it entirely, that was fine too, I guess. Besides, I was not going to beg Hades for MY charger.

"You would have a better chance trying to find striped paint first, Hades," I murmured, scrubbing the floors of the Entrance Hall with a large, yellow sponge.

It was nice that the villains didn't expect too much of me, but it was a little annoying. I was being treated like a minority, neglected of the privileges granted to all of the others.

I wiped beads of sweat from my forehead, and looked at the double doors in the Entrance Hall. I just realized I haven't been outside in an entire week. I have tried to go outside once, but those large doors were too heavy. Plus, I suspected magic would have kept me from opening it either way.

"I hope that Sora is doing fine," I gagged in disgust, washing the bottom of the pillars.

Honestly, I did care about Sora and Riku's conflicts, but not as much as my own. I was more concerned about my escape plan than I was about any of the characters. I haven't made an escape plan, yet, but I am learning my weaknesses and strengths.

Does that make me a bad person?

Hehe. I know it does.

When I continued scrubbing the pillars, I saw a greenish tint. _Yuck!_ Was that...was that mold?!

I held in a gag as I scrubbed it and sprayed it with a weird type of water solution Captain Hook gave me. He said it was magic water, but Captain Hook was nuttier than a nutrition bar.

It smelled like old Pumpkin Pie, or perhaps butterscotch, left out in the hot sun. It was an odor I wasn't too fond of.

I glanced up to see two others arrive from the Lift Stop. Well, it was, to my surprise, Riku and Sitka.

"That's my friend, Sayla," pointed Sitka

I looked aghast as Riku entered, and he looked at me weirdly. I think it was disgust.

"Hello!" I waved cheerfully.

What? It's not everyday you meet the Canon's of your favorite video game.

"Sayla, this is Riku," smiled Sitka. "Ansem figured that if you're the castles servant, you need to become friends with the higher-ups. Plus, we want Riku to be comfortable here."

"Oh, yeah, because staying here is such a delight," said Riku sarcastically.

_Tell me about it._

Sitka nudged Riku, and snorted. "Feel free to ask Sayla for anything. She's pretty cool," she assured him. Sitka faced me, and smiled, "When you're done, you can send him back our way."

"You got it, boss," I said. "Actually, I was wondering if you could do me a fav - "

"Bye, now!" waved Sitka, as she ran off.

So much for asking for her to recharge my iPhone. I took a deep breath, and faced the silver-haired boy.

"What?" asked Riku, somewhat in shock.

"Nothing. I guess. My name is Sayla," I scratched the back of my head. I took a small pause, and continued, "Are you hungry?"

"Kind of. Why, what do you guys eat?" he asked.

"Actually, I am not sure what the, um," I stuttered, and almost called them villains, " - the others eat."

"I see...So why do you seem so different from the others?" asked Riku. "I mean, they seem all dark and evil...You just seem, no offense, useless."

Offense taken, you jerk asshole.

Woops! Forgive my profanity! People has always told me that thirteen-year-old girls should never swear.

I somehow mustered a bemused smile, and lied, "You're funny, Riku. Do I really need to be a Master of Darkness to clean a few windows daily?"

Riku just shrugged. "It's just...weird here, I guess."

I wanted to tell him I was a prisoner, but wasn't comfortable just doing it.

When Riku fell silent, I staggered. I always felt like I hated Riku in the first game, that he was some traitorous villain. I had resented him, and thought he was a terrible, awful person for what he done.

But now that I was talking to him, and putting myself in his shoes, I felt weird. Empathetic. I could understand him.

In short, I still hated Riku, but I hated him a little less.

"I know!" I snapped as though a light bulb went off in my head. "Let's go to the kitchen. We are going to have Macaroni Salad!"

"Macaroni...Salad? Wha...?"

* * *

Riku sat at the dark table, staring at his feet. I was telling him about how immature Oogie was and that he may or may not possibly get used to it.

I put the Macaroni Salad in the stove at 350 degrees, and let it bake. I wasn't necessarily sure they used Fahrenheit/Celsius unit measurements to cook.

So if I end up burning our meal entirely, at least I had a valid excuse. I'm sure wasting food was punishable by death, just like alot of other things were. Was breathing punishable by falling into a volcano?

"Hey, Riku, you've been pretty quiet," I snapped, a little annoyed he wasn't answering me or talking, especially since I was making a very decent meal.

That was one thing that bothered me, when people ignores me. Especially when I'm trying to be cool with them.

"Well, it's nothing that you'd understand. You're just a kid," he glanced boredly.

I shot him a glare. Little did he know, I did understand. I understood _everything_.

"Yeah, no wonder Sora always was the brighter one," I murmured.

"Sora?" asked Riku, his eyes widening in shock. "You know Sora?"

"And Kairi too, actually. But hey, you wouldn't understand, you're too much of a buttface," I retorted.

Buttface? That had to be the stupidest comeback I had made, but at least it sufficed, fortunately.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," frowned Riku. "Seriously, though, how do you even know Sora and Kairi?"

Riku suddenly looked mystified and shocked combined. I didn't have any plausible reasoning. If I told him his life was just a game, he would never take anything I had to say seriously.

"I just do, okay?" I replied. I would feed him an excuse once I thought of one. "And keep it down. Ansem and Maleficent can't know I know Sora, at least."

They'd be okay with me knowing Kairi, on the other hand, because she was just another prisoner, just exceptionally dead.

I wondered if Riku already saw the unconscious redhead.

"You're lying. You probably just know them through the others," inquired Riku.

"_Probably_," I repeated jokingly.

I figured that that arguing over senseless plot timeline stuff would just keep running the conversation into brick walls and boring speeches about one's heart, just like in a typical shitty OC fanfic.

...Man, I read _way_ too many fanfics. I decided that if I ever got home, I would try to revise my social life for the better.

"Nut up or shut up, Riku," I laughed.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!"

For the next hour and a half we quarreled and it was hilarious. That was when the stove _dinged_.

"Food!" Riku and I cried triumphantly.

I grabbed a mitten and slowly picked up the steaming, golden brown dish of artistically baked Macaroni Salad. I may be weak and helpless, but I had fine knowledge in cooking.

Maybe later I will make muffins. Or perhaps brownies. I guess either, given that the ingredients are available. It would make a delicious late-night snack.

"What is macaroni?" asked Riku.

I was pretty sure he knew what a salad was, so I didn't bother explaining that part. Growing up on Destiny Islands, I am sure their diet's consisted of strictly fish, fruits, and vegetables. That was probably why the three main Canon's were fit and in shape.

I, on the other hand, was just skinny. I didn't have muscle power like they did. That would be a major setback in my plan to escape.

But we will cross that bridge when we get to it, readers.

"It's a type of noodles covered in melted cheese," I explained.

Boxed noodles smuthered in Kraft's Cheese has always been my favorite recipe for this dish. Unfortunately, I didn't believe that there was a Kraft Cheese manufacturer in Kingdom Hearts. I simply improvised with what looked and tasted like a different sort of cheese. It tasted like American Cheese.

When we sat down, I assured Riku to let the food cool down before eating, even though the smell was just as tempting as its golden exterior.

I found a couple black spoons in a nearby drawer by the sink. Black, as I had already expected.

When Riku took a few bites, he was speechless.

"Is it good?" I cheered, shoving a spoonful in my mouth.

Riku chewed a few bites, before reaching his verdict. "It's alright, I guess."

I didn't know if that was his genuine opinion, or he was just saying that to be a jerk. I figured it was a little bit of both. I just shrugged. It is what it is.

For somebody who didn't like my meal, he was finishing his bowl rather quickly.

When our conversation fell silent as we chowed down on our meals, Riku spoke, "I know what you are planning," Riku sat his bowl aside, and looked my direction. "You aren't planning to leave, are you?"

My eyes shot open at the sudden change of subject. Before I could make up a bullshit excuse, Riku continued, "And don't lie. I'm not stupid, and I know you're not stupid, either. You may have fooled the others with your silly-nice-girl act, but you haven't fooled me."

"What are you talking about?" I sluggishly swallowed my noodles. "Oh, you must mean the brownies! Dang...I was going to surprise everyone later. Oh, well..."

I stirred the spoon around my bowl of Macaroni Salad. Damn it. He was on to me...Did he know I was slowly evolving an escape plan?

"You know _exactly_ what I mean!" Riku threw his bowl against the wall, and drew his Soul Eater.

Okay, the sound of the crash made me jump a little.

Riku pointed his blade at my neck, and spat, "Don't you dare try to leave. You will suffer, not by Ansem, nor Maleficent, but by me personally!"

Should I fight back?! Maybe I should just be quiet...

No, I didn't dare break my character. I just smiled sluggishly, "Riku? What's gotten into you? Even if I wanted to, you know as well as I do leaving is impossible..."

"Whatever. Just keep this warning in mind," said Riku, withdrawing his sword. He left to the door, and turned back just once to face me. "I'm keeping an eye on you."

He slammed the door shut behind him, and some pots and pans fell.

I leaped a little fearful and annoyed. I knew I would have to clean up Riku's bowl of Macaroni Salad and the pots on the ground.

Riku was smarter than he looked. Yeah, I was playing stupid. But I was playing stupid just long enough to hide under the radar. So I won this time, Riku.

And besides, why did it matter if I left? Did Ansem tell Riku something else besides getting to know me better? I bet Ansem and Maleficent needed me for something else, though.

I knew one thing for a fact, though. I suddenly wasn't very hungry anymore.

* * *

**A/N: BOO :D Hehe. I had to re-write this a few times until I felt like I got it right x3**

**Why don't the villains want Sayla to leave, and now Riku doesn't want her to leave all of the sudden either?**

**Something is going on behind closed doors that Sayla doesn't know about. And it can't be very good.**

**And Sayla's Happy-Go-Lucky attitude worked on everyone else except Riku...Uh, oh! XD**

**Haha XD I hope this chapter was funny enough for you guys 8D I even added humor in the argument cus I'm such a nut for comedy.**

**REVIEW C:!**

**I LOVE REVIEWS MORE THAN I LOVE CANDY, AND THATS SAYING SOMETHING XD**

**Stay tuned C:!**


	6. Chapter 6: Gummi's for Dummys

**A/N: Thanks for all of the reviews/follows/favorites :D You guys are the best!**

***Wears Heartless shirt and stuff a reviewer gave me***

**Wot Q - Q? KH is the best game in all of existence and the best material made up by some epic masterminds. X3**

**...I do wot I want *snaps all ghetto like*~!**

**In this chapter we finally get to see the Library ;D How will Sayla react once she finds out about something she wasn't supposed to in there?**

**Ugh. I can't say anymore w I want to tell you all so badly, doe.**

**Well, I just hope you guys enjoy :D That's all that matters to me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts. And Ansem and Xemnas don't either xD Square Enix does XD So if any of us three would like rights over KH we'd have to go through Square Enix first (arguably the best company in all of existence :3).**

* * *

Chapter 6: Gummi's for Dummys

Yeah, the outburst with Riku really set me back. I knew I was on really thin ice. But that didn't stop me from touring the castle. It seemed like every day there was a different room for me to admire.

I tried not to stray too far from the Lift Stop. I wasn't so used to the backdrop of the castle so much as I was the front part.

I never got to explore the backdrop of the castle in the game. The halls were pretty dark, and not as many heartless were back this way.

It was so cool. I had an admirable feeling of solace course determinedly through my veins as I swayed through the halls.

But, yeah, believe it or not, but I actually had no tasks today. Maleficent was out in another world (I think Wonderland), and Ansem was probably at the Keyhole, as usual.

I saw a large door, and my eyebrow raised in mystery. I pulled it open carefully, and saw...

Many very tiny legos lined up against a wall?

I picked one up. They were so tiny and cute! They looked more like Sugar Cubes to me.

Said Sugar Cube bursted into an incredible size, and the weight made it too trivial to carry. I dropped it with a thud.

"So much for cute," I shrugged. I was actually pleased with myself for not trying to eat it. The sugar cube shrunk back to its miniature size. "Hey, wait a second...Those are Gummi pieces!"

I learned from the architecture of this castle a long time ago that it was created out of Gummi pieces. I used to think Gummi's were only useful for making Gummi Ships. I figured out that I was wrong.

But I could use these to leave, couldn't I?!

Well, I was an awful Gummi Ship inventor. I couldn't even make one in the game it was so confusing. What made me think that I could build a real live ship, with a real live engine?

But, I still had to try. Maybe if I found some blueprints I could create one.

It was my only hope, and my only idea.

I grabbed a whole bunch of Gummis and stuffed as many as I could into all of my pockets. I hoped that they wouldn't spontaneously grow while I carried them.

There, now those disgusting bulges in my butt pockets made me the spitting image of Ursula.

I made sure to remember how I got to the Gummi Room. I decided that remembering would eventually be a must.

When I waddled back into my room, I was beyond relieved that no one had saw me. I dumped all of the Gummi's onto the floor, and pushed them under my bed.

It was a trick I learned at home when I wanted to hide my dirty clothes. It always worked.

I facepalmed when I didn't think this plan through. If I even tried to build a Gummi, they were bound to notice an intergalactic spaceship in their servant's room. They were usually watching me, anyway. It wasn't exactly something that could be done overnight.

Was there anywhere else much more remote that I could build it?

I had yet to figure that one out, but when I did, all I had to do was collect instructions and a designated point to which I could start building.

I kind of regretted that I never helped my dad work on the cars back home, now. Any kind of mechanical knowledge would have been of use to me.

"Alright, Plan Breakout, commence," I smirked eagerly.

* * *

-*-*- Riku's POV, Third Person -*-*-

"I'm telling you, she's bad news," warned Riku, sighing.

Ansem was motionless, but continued, "She's not as smart as you make her out to be. There is no way for her to leave this castle."

"You told me that if Sayla gets out of our grasp, Kairi maybe asleep forever," said Riku.

"That's true. But once we collect all of the princesses, we can tear Sayla's heart out and give it to the princess, Kairi," said Ansem.

"Why couldn't you just do it now? She's already vulnerable!" exclaimed Riku.

It made no sense to him. Why couldn't they just kill that imp of a servant and give Kairi her life back? The only thing that concerned him was saving Kairi from these villains' dark clutches.

"Because, if we awaken the redhead, you two will just leave. And we still need your help, Riku," chuckled Ansem. Riku watched a little annoyed as the cloaked figure walked to the Keyhole, and continued, "That servant girl is no ordinary child. The Keyhole reacted to her. She has a rare heart that Kingdom Hearts could reach out to. Those Rare Hearts were rooted out centuries ago. That's what my other half Xehanort told me."

Riku raised an eyebrow. A Rare Heart? How was that girl's heart unjust from all the others? Still, it did make sense to him in any matter.

"So, only these Rare Hearts can only replenish those who have lost their own hearts, right?" asked Riku.

"Precisely. There are only four Rare Hearts born every millennium," said Ansem, staring at the Keyhole slowly. "That girl is one of those four."

Riku smirked at the convenience of the situation. If he could just keep the servant alive until the other six princesses were found, he could revive Kairi.

Truthfully, that's all that mattered to him at this point, Kairi. And he would do anything to save her. Even if that meant killing a Rare Heart.

"So that's why she is still alive...Because you need me," murmured Riku.

He wondered if he should tell Ansem that she knew Sora and Kairi already. That servant, that very strange servant, made all the difference between the life and the death of Kairi.

He didn't want to kill the servant, but didn't want to kill Kairi either.

That's why the thought of Sayla escaping bothered him. He would lose Kairi forever if she did.

"Yes...but she won't last too much longer," assured Ansem. "And soon, your Kairi shall return."

They turned their attention to the door as Sitka stumbled in. She had a goofy smile posed on her face. "Haii!"

"Sitka? Did you search for the Keyhole in Traverse Town?" asked Ansem, surprised by her quick return.

"Heehee, well, not exactly," she sweatdropped. "But I did find a Portal-G gummi piece...That's a lead, isn't it?"

Riku felt like facepalming at the bright attitude of Sitka. She seemed to have grown much brighter and less depressed since Sayla had come to Hollow Bastion.

Sayla has been sucking up to the higher-ups, but Riku knew full and well that it was all an act.

Heck, even Maleficent laughed when Sayla joined some of their meetings and cracked jokes.

'_Why should you never trust an atom?! Because, it makes up everything_!' Sayla's lame joke played over in his head.

"...I suppose it's something," sighed Ansem. "Did you at least try to find it?"

"Well, I couldn't! This Leon and Yuffie duo were attacking me!" Sitka sweatdropped. "I even checked the Fourth District!"

"Just throw that Gummi Piece with the other ones," shrugged Riku. "It's useless because we can already travel by darkness."

Sitka smiled, "You're right."

She tossed it to a Pitbull Heartless beside her, who caught it with its teeth. The heartless dissipated to the Gummi Room.

"Just be sure to expand your search. We aren't just targeting the princesses, but also the Keyholes," consented Ansem.

* * *

"You really think you can do it?" asked Larvene.

"Of course she can! And she can take us with her, too!" cheered Hugo.

"Don't be reckless!" laughed Victor.

"Uh, guys, I am still here," I smiled jokingly.

I went back to the Entrance Hall and told the statues about my plan. They were pretty certain it would work. They brought irrelevant things into the conversation about what color I would paint it, and if it would have laser guns.

I wasn't going to make anything really special. Just good enough to get out of this shithole of a castle.

"That's right, sorry," laughed Hugo. "But where do you think you are going to build it?"

"Here in the middle of the Entrance Hall, of course," I said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes

"Well, what about the Rising Falls? I heard no one goes down that way," suggested Larvene.

The Rising Falls? Could I work in negative eight thousand degree-like temperatures? I mean, I might not have a choice.

But then, I couldn't get outside...

I know!

I'll have Sitka unlock it the next the villains leave to their world's. Sitka was pretty gullible and was the weakest link here.

I felt bad about using her, because we were friends, but I knew I had to do what benefited myself.

"That's a good idea!" I smiled. "Larvene, you're a genius!"

"What's that make us?! Chopped Liver?" asked Victor.

"Give or take," I shrugged jokingly.

The four of us laughed endlessly. I was having fun with the inanimate figures sitting with me. When our slur of jokes ended, the conversation fell right back on track.

"Do you even know how to make a Gummi Ship?" questioned Hugo.

"Uh...define '_make_'," I scratched my nose nervously.

"So you are going to improvise? You might as well just waste your time trying to get your iPhone charger back from Hades," said Larvene.

"I know, you're right," I sighed. "I just need some sort of blueprints, but there wasn't any in the Gummi Room."

We all fell silent. The wise statues didn't even have the wisdom to tell me that I could achieve this goal, because they knew it would be a pointless effort.

"Well...Have you checked the Library?" asked Victor slowly.

"The Library?! Ummmm, No. No I haven't," I looked mystified.

But the library seemed like it would be a good place to start. My local library back home had atlases, maps, and even inventor books.

However, I knew if I got caught inside, I would be in some deep trouble. It would be an unforgivable consequence. It wouldn't be like not doing my chores, or back talking. It was high treason.

The other villains were going to be out for a few more hours, so it was worth a shot. Ansem was up at the Keyhole with Riku, undoubtedly.

"I will check it out. But I am just going in and out," I said.

"Uh, Sayla, I don't know if that's a very good idea," suggested Larvene. "Maybe you could just...I don't know...Make more glorious strobe lights with Sitka instead?"

"Guys," I stopped at the Library door, "I'll be quick."

Before they preached, I entered inside.

Okay, now, all I had to do was find a book about Gummi's. It couldn't be too hard...right?

I took a few steps inside. Bookshelves full of misplaced books laid against every wall here and there. The old, useless books laid on the floor, with torn spines.

Unlike any ordinary library, this one lacked organization. It wasn't organized by author, or genre, but rather by color. How convenient.

I sighed, and started skimming the titles on anything having to do with engineering.

Half an hour passed, and all I found was novels and poems about darkness and heartless. I supposed that this library had nothing but information pertaining to villainy.

What was in this library that Ansem wanted to keep so secret, anyway? It looked exactly like the boring library in the game.

I sighed, and noticed a tangerine colored book among a shelf of green books. That was unusual...

I hasted my way to the odd colored book, and read the spine.

'_Heartless, Book 3'_

I tugged at it, and it felt wedged inside.

"The heck?" I started to pull harder.

When I mustered up enough strength, the book flew free, and the shelf spun around.

"_Ack_!" I gasped, as I found myself on the other side of the wall. "I knew books were evil, but jeez!"

I looked around, and this looked like a secret, hidden room with a desk, an open journal with a pen, and another dusty novela beside the journal.

"...Is this..." I grabbed the journal, and started reading. It's an Ansem's Report. But in the game, there were only thirteen reports. Not a fourteenth.

_"Ansem's Report, 14_

_Recently the Keyhole brought a worthy vessel into our presence, a girl named Sayla. I knew there was something conspicuous about this girl once the heartless suddenly started accepting her. _

_As I sent her to her cell, I asked Xehanort about it. _

_Xehanort told me she was a Rare Heart, a being whom of which possesses a heart that can only be surrendered to another who needs it._

_They are useless in the making of Kingdom Hearts and are nothing like a Princess of Heart._

_He told me that, if things go according to plan, I'd need her._

_I captured the first Princess, Kairi. Riku was on the verge of murder to revive her. I told him that after we collected the six other princesses, we would kill our servant off, and revive Kairi._

_That servant is strange...I can sense she's not from even any other worlds. I can sense a dimensional shift from her. But it won't matter for too much longer..."_

I tried to soak in what I just read.

A Rare Heart? They only spared me because, in the end, I was going to be a sacrifice. And they weren't going to tell me...

If I stayed, now I knew for a fact I would die. I couldn't wait for Sora, because there would be a time lapse where he gets to the castle a little late.

I knew now that staying wasn't an option. I had to get out of here ASAP.

I wondered if Sitka knew.

I bet she did! I can't believe I trusted her.

I shook off what I just read. I can worry about that later.

I stirred out of the bookshelf, and back into the centre of the Library.

After a frantic searching, I found a book called '_Gummi's for Dummy's_'. I didn't even open it up or skim. I assumed it was passable. I scurried to leave, before I tripped on a few short stories.

"Just my luck," I winced, picking up my stolen Gummi book that fell out of my hands.

I looked down and saw a novel.

It was just another princess story.

I opened it up, and flipped to the last page out of curiosity. I was always a nut for princess stories.

Since I didn't have enough time to dawdle around the Library, I decided that the last page would be okay to read.

"_And they all lived Happily Ever After_," I cheered, reading the last sentence.

I grabbed the Gummi book, and decided that I couldn't waste away any more time than I already had.

When I left the Library, I was relieved the Entrance Hall was still empty.

"You're back!" called the three statues.

"Yeah," I smiled, hiding the book behind my back, "And I am ready to advance on to step two."

Because, apparently I am in grave danger. I wasn't going to stay here any longer.

* * *

**A/N: It looks like I revealed the reason for Sayla's purpose finally. Also, I had plausible reasoning for keeping her alive XD**

**A Rare Heart is nothing special. I just wanted this as a plot device. All a Rare Heart can do is replace the heart of anyone one who has lost one.**

**So PLEASE don't think this is some stupid Mary Sue idea XD I'll cry if it is!**

**Sayla has finally got an escape plan. It may seem a little easy right now, buuuut it won't for very long ^w^ **

**And you will see just how in the upcoming chapters.**

**Heheee :D**

**PLEASE REVIEW ^_^**

**PLEASE REVIEW ^_^**

**PLEASE REVIEW ^_^!**


	7. Chapter 7: Building Up and Breaking Down

**A/N: Fankyew all for the reviews/favorites/follows and stuff :D It means lots and lots to me o3o**

**I love the curiosity I spark as far as my plot progresses X3 Hehe**

**In this chapter, the plan progresses, but then hits a dead end. Aren't I just evil :3?**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts...But I do own my trusty bag of Skittles while writing this and also my OCs. So that's something I guess XD**

* * *

Chapter 7: Building Up and Breaking Down

_How long has it been now?_

Three weeks - an entire month.

It has been a month since I have been away from home, stuck in a dimension that I thought was just a video game series.

_Can you believe it? I know I can't._

I smirked. It wouldn't make much of a difference for too much longer. I wasn't planning on staying here.

And, much to my chagrin, I had a weird sense of humor. I thought the villains' fights and rancid arguments were entertaining.

A couple days ago, Jafar manipulated a heartless with his snake staff into giving Captain Hook a wedgie. Yeah, they were immature in some of their spare time, but nevertheless, it made me laugh. I tried convincing Jafar to make a heartless attempt to pickpocket Hades for "the fun of it", but Jafar just laughed at me like I was stupid.

I just really, really wanted my iPhone charger back before I left.

Every night, I skimmed _Gummi's for Dummys_ for blueprints for a simple, easy-to-make spaceship. I had my eye on the _Autumn Twister_.

Even though it looked small and kind of cramped, I knew I had enough Gummi Pieces to make it. All I had to do was follow the instructions carefully, and I should be fine.

There was even a terminology glossary in the back for mechanical terms I was unfamiliar with. It helped fill me in on all of the blank spaces.

I studied the explanations step-by-step each night. All I had to do now is get Sitka to let me outside so I can start.

_Was it fair I was just using her, though?_ Using her and leaving without saying bye?

Because of Sitka, I was able to cling to my sanity during my stay here. I felt like I was being a little indignant.

But she was being indignant in her own way by not telling me that the others were fixing to kill me.

The plot point Sora is at must be after leaving Traverse Town, or just entering Wonderland. Time moved slower than it did in the game. Like, in the game, I could probably win in a week. But it was just different here.

I sighed, and shut my book. I figured I would have to try crafting as soon as possible. Which meant tomorrow.

* * *

"Thanks for showing me to the Rising Falls! But, boy is it cold out here!" I trembled, walking beside Sitka.

"Don't mention it," she smiled at me. "There used to be a waterfall streaming through here...But when darkness took over, everything kind of just...went cold."

A waterfall, huh? Must have been back in the good ol' Radiant Garden days.

I've only ever played Birth By Sleep once, and that was at Sara's house. She had a PSP, and I didn't. She let me play and complete only Ventus's story.

Haha, I was totally geeking.

"I might want to be alone out here for a bit," I said slowly, to where it sounded inoffensive. "I've been detained for an entire month, y'know?..."

It was a half-lie. I really did feel incredible standing in the fresh air once again (despite the fact I could see my own breath), but had to get down to business first and foremost.

"Oh, well, I understand!" laughed Sitka. "I have to go to Halloween Town anyway to try to search for a Keyhole."

"You'll do great. I have a feeling today is your lucky day," I lied. But, you never know. She might indeed get lucky.

"You think? Oh, boy, I can't wait!" cheered Sitka, opening a black corridor.

I waved to the girl as she slowly exited and the corridor behind her dissipating. And, before you think Riku is watching me, I told him I somehow felt Kairi talked to me in my dreams.

It was a lie, of course, but Riku bought it. I said that Kairi told me: _Riku, please stick by me. I need you._

Sure, he was a bit skeptical, but he must have believed it. He's been watching Kairi since.

Playing with Riku's trust didn't make me feel guilty like it did when I played with Sitka's. And besides, he had it coming. He was being very rude.

I brought my collection of Gummi Blocks with me in a small heartless drawstring bag.

I got said bag from a Kupo who apparently comes to sell here at Hollow Bastion sometimes.

But, believe it or not, the tiny Gummi Blocks were hard to carry. They were heavy and felt like they were weighing me down.

I decided that if I was going to start building, I needed a completely safe, out-of-sight spot. Somewhere I knew the villains wouldn't check if they got suspicious of me being out here.

By the sewage line, behind a few large boulders.

Yeah, the smell was awful. Terrible, really. And I was super cold. Sitka told me that, in order to back track, all I had to do was head back towards the large castle in the distance.

_Obviously..._

I stared at the book and started to assemble various pieces. Putting Gummi's together was surprisingly easy. It was like connecting legos. You just let them snap in place, and _Voila_! You are a professional mechanic.

I thought creating Gummi spaceships would be just as trivial as making a NASA Rocketship.

I followed the instructions as carefully as possible, trying not to make a mistake. The warning on the introduction pages said that any mistake could be life threatening.

It was a little harder than making one on the game. I mean, sure, you used a controller to make one, but I did it by hand.

An hour past and I completed the engine and the floorboards. All I had to do next was install a seat, a window (you know, just so I wouldn't suffocate in the zero gravity zone), a steering wheel, and a blast-off Gummi.

I figured I could stuff my bag with polyester from my bed and sit on that instead of finding a seat. I was probably only going to use this escape method once.

With that, I resigned for today, feeling mostly accomplished. I knew it would be a little suspicious if I went back tomorrow, so I paced myself. I would give it a few days before I returned to finish.

* * *

I re-entered the Entrance Hall, and kept the door ajar behind me. As I entered, I shivered terribly. I felt numb, like I couldn't even move my fingers.

I think I was working on the Gummi for a few hours. Yeah, I was doing the easiest one possible, but I was still simply just a thirteen-year-old girl. Even I messed up and had to retry.

I rubbed my shoulders in a fruitless attempt to regain warmth. I knew that next time I went back out, I would bring gloves, and a jacket. My long-sleeved white shirt just didn't do it for me.

"You look like you have just seen a ghost," called Hugo.

Those statues just only spoke to me, apparently. They were inactive when I had other company in here.

"Negative 800 trillion degrees - please try it," I joked in-between shivers, still hugging myself and walking over to the statues.

"How's project Getting The Hell Out, going?" asked Hugo. Hugo never swore.

That was honestly what I called my escape plan. Project _GTHO_. I was going to use another alternative that was even more common in internet forums, but I didn't go as far as swear that bad.

"Ya know, it's g-going," I trembled. "Be right back, guys..."

I ran up to my room, grabbed my heartless blanket, and scurried to the kitchen. They didn't have coffee grounds, so instead I microwaved a glass of milk, and let it cool on my way back down.

I returned quickly to the Entrance Hall in record time. I sat beside the statues, cuddling up in my blanket.

"What in the world is that?" asked Victor, indicating my drink.

"This, my friends, is warm milk!" I laughed, taking a sip.

I always liked to drink hot chocolate too after playing in the snow.

"Warm milk?" Larvene looked mystified.

"What? You have never heard of it before?" I asked indignantly.

I was beginning to feel like my world's recipes were superior to that of Kingdom Heart's.

"No. Our old friend used to drink fresh milk, but never left it out to warm in the sun," told Hugo.

Ah, Quasimodo. I loved the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and this was the first time they brought up our very dear friend, Quasi. I already knew who he was, so didn't bother pushing for details.

I figured that there were cattle in his world. But I think Hugo was making a huge misconception about warm milk...

"You don't leave the milk to rot, yuck," I shuddered at the thought. "You warm it up in a microwave for 30 seconds. That way it doesn't create chunks or start to go sour."

"What's a microwave?" Victor looked mystified.

"It's a magical device that makes cooking _so_ much more convenient, Victor. So so so much more convenient," I smiled.

Besides the magical part, I was indeed being honest. If you wanted to warm you meal back up hundreds of years ago, you would need to make a small fire.

I took a few gulps of my milk, and some feeling of warmth returned to my pores. I felt numb, sure. But I didn't feel restless all the same. In turn, it made moving my hands around much more easier.

The way the milk streamed down my throat felt godly. The freshly churned warmth worked its way down my mouth intertwined with a beloved mixture of delight and taste. Delicious.

I sat my drink aside, and tied my brown hair into a fishtail to keep my frustrating hair out of my face.

"How much more longer will it be until you have to go?" asked Larvene.

"Meh, not too much longer. I think in a few days I'll be done, so I can be gone," I sighed.

I felt like my plan was similar to Riku's plan to leave the Islands. I mean, they didn't have the material there to build a spaceship, of course.

Hopefully my plan would work. I knew if it didn't, and I got caught, then I would be staring death right in the face. So I am risking everything. Everything on the slim chance that everything would work.

What if I did a step wrong? What if it didn't start?

Then what?

Well, they wouldn't know that I tried if I kept being as sneaky as a church mouse.

"It sucks that you have to go, though..." said Victor slowly.

I raised an eyebrow, and said bluntly, "Victor. They're plotting to kill me."

"I know, but that's not what I meant."

"I think he means to say is that you are the first friend we have made in a long time, and it will suck when you go," said Larvene boredly.

"Yeah, that!" interjected Hugo. "Plus, you've only been here for just a month."

"I know, I know," I waved their preaching off. "But they don't know that I am aware of their plans to get rid of me. I am using that to my advantage."

"Where will you go?" asked Larvene, mystified

"I don't know. Anywhere is better than here," I said while finishing my milk. "Ah! That hit the spot!"

"Can you make me some?" asked Victor.

I raised an eyebrow, "But you're a statue?"

"I know, right?! Isn't that freaking amazing?!" he pumped his fist into the air.

We all laughed in unison for the rest of the day. I started up to my room, before sidetracking to the Gummi Room for other useful pieces.

Inside, I mysteriously found a Gummi-G. I noticed it from the game. To what world it lead to, I didn't know.

The difference between a regular Gummi and a Gummi-G is that the Portal Gummi's (otherwise known as the G's) are blue and resembled that of a crystal.

I pocketed that very piece. Hopefully they wouldn't notice it had going missing. I mean, with all the Gummi's in here, there was no way they were bound to keep track of them all.

So now I had direction. Now I wouldn't even have to travel. All I had to do was reach the atmosphere, and figure out how to activate the Portal Gummi.

And please don't think that this escape plan is that simple, readers. Because getting around every villain and sneaking out was too risky. And the plan wasn't even guaranteed to work.

Even the lie I fed Riku didn't buy me too much more time before he was back on my tail.

Before I entered my room, I glanced back at him. "DUDE! What do you want?!"

"I have decided to be your escort 24/7," smirked Riku.

Yeah, right. He knew that I was up to something.

_How could I shake him off just long enough for me to finish the plan? _

"Oh! I didn't know I needed babysat," I said sarcastically. "Thanks for volunteering."

"You're funny," he said boredly.

"Does that mean you get to watch me go to the bathroom? And chew my food for me?" I raised an eyebrow.

He shrugged gruffly. "Not exactly all of that. But I figured," he smiled slowly, "we could start over again and be friends. Whaddya say?"

_Was he serious about wanting to be friends, though? _

Maybe we could be friends. I thought about it briefly.

Ha! I knew that was the biggest lie ever. He just wanted to make sure I wouldn't try going anywhere.

I bet he even tricked Sitka into asking him what I have been up to, lately. I'm sure she told him that I requested a visit to the outside.

But I had to play along if I wanted to go.

Riku held out his arm for me to shake it.

I glanced at his hand like it was something off of the movie _The Blob_. I smiled lightly, and shook his hand gracefully.

I spoke in as kind of a stupid girly tone as I could muster, "Sure...That would be wonderful. Sorry if I offended you the other week."

"Oh, that? I already forgotten about it," he smiled.

"Hehe! Oh, stop it!" I chuckled.

I was cursing badly under my breath. I needed to finish the Gummi Ship...I was so close, too!

He walked me to my room, and he glanced at the bag on my back. "What do you got in that bag, there?"

"Oh...uh..." I sweatdropped. I opened my bag, and noticed the polyester stuffed inside.

"Let me see," Riku snatched it.

I felt a surge of anger as he took it.

"Fuzz? What's the point in having this?" asked Riku, giving me a suspicious look.

Great. It was suspicious carrying around polyester, wasn't it? It's not something one would do on an everyday basis.

I sighed, "I was going to make Oogie a voodoo doll as a gift. You know, for being such a cool guy."

"A voodoo doll? Of who?" asked Riku.

"I don't know, anyone," I lied.

If I was really making one, I would definitely consider making one of Hades and perform treacherous acupuncture to his cranium. Until I received my belongings, at least.

Riku seemed to have disdained that for nothing important. He tossed my bag on the ground.

I shot him a cold look as I picked it up, and entered my room. "I thought you were going to watch me sleep..._friend._"

"I have better things to do, _friend_," he smirked, as he walked off. "But I will be back again tomorrow, friend."

"Sure thing, _friend_!" I snapped.

"Okay, _friend_!" retaliated Riku.

"Alright, _best friend!_" I slammed the door shut behind me furiously. By the sound of the impact, I think I knocked a portrait off of the wall.

Wait...was that even supposed to be a serious argument...?

* * *

**A/N: So, the good news: Sayla is finally crafting a ship.**

**The bad news: Riku has decided to be her constant escort.**

**How can Sayla buy herself some more time now? **

**I assure you, Riku won't be letting her be alone anymore now o3o That puts a crink in the plan.**

**And the next chapter should be good. It will be the chapter you all have been waiting for! **

**It will be the first part of the breakout!**

**I seriously have no idea how long the breakout will be, but I added a whole bunch of twists and obstacles, and, of course, humor :3**

**So, you know thee drill:**

**REVIEW :DDDD**

**(Feel free to be mean to me in the reviews or just be blunt about my story :D I want to know how to improve my writing if it isn't good enough x3)**

**Until then, adieu ^…^ ~**


	8. Chapter 8: It's Party Time, Part 1

**A/N: THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS/FOLLOWS/FAVORITES YOU GUYS ARE TEH BEST.**

**In this chapter, Sayla starts to initiate the escape plan. But how will she pull it off with Riku tailing her?**

**And it gets pretty fun here, I think :3**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, then Xion would not have died D: Nor would Roxas' line would have been, "Who else am I going to have ice cream with?!" XD**

* * *

Chapter 8: It's "Party" Time, Part 1

The next couple of days flew by quickly, and let me tell you, Riku was serious about the monitoring thing. He even stood outside the bathroom stalls, which made me very uncomfortable.

He got mad when I hid in the bathroom stalls for a good twenty minutes.

But, the other night when I was about to go to sleep, I was thinking about the plan...And I had the perfect idea. I even asked Maleficent and Ansem if I could initiate said idea.

"We have too much to worry about," snapped Maleficent. "_The answer is no_!"

"Well, hold on just a second..." said Ansem, holding up a sleeve to her. "True, we have much to focus on...But we should make these two feel welcome. Just one party couldn't hurt."

"_Welcome_?! She's just a servant!" hissed Riku.

"I'm just saying, a large party for a night wouldn't kill anyone," I said indignantly. "And it was more in honor of you finding Carrie."

"_Kairi_!" corrected Riku immediately.

I giggled. My clueless attitude made it way too easy to show Ansem and Maleficent I had no idea about their plan to kill me.

Plus, you know, picking on Riku was hilarious because of his temper.

I planned to draw Riku away by having _many_ Disney villains gather together for a party in the Entrance Hall.

While Riku was busy searching the crowds for me, I figured I would slip away to the Rising Falls and finish my experiment.

Riku was never bound to keep track of me at a party if there was a large crowd. And plus, I had the last of the required resources I needed to finish my Gummi Ship.

Still, with more villains comes a higher risk of punishment if I was caught. But the more villains there were, the more stealthily I could slip by.

The positives outweighed the negatives.

"I suppose it's a decent idea...but only for a night," Maleficent facepalmed. "When do you suppose we begin this 'Party' of yours?"

"Hmm...Maybe late tomorrow night. I can spend tonight cleaning the halls for you," I smiled sheepishly.

More like I would search for anything as a weapon to use for me to escape with. Just as long as I could get away.

Tomorrow night would be the night I would break away from this prison. Going about it successfully, I wasn't too certain about. Hopefully.

I spent weeks planning this escape, minus the party part of it. That was completely last minute.

"Fine, then...Maleficent, contact any friends of ours," consented Ansem.

"Very well," she held up her black robe, and disappeared in a green fire.

"And you need to make some foods before you start scrubbing. If you want a party so bad, you will have to stay up all night doing the work," spat Ansem.

I sighed. Cooking was one of the last things on my agenda. But it was just another obstacle I had to overcome. If cooking would get me out of here, I would do it.

And besides, I would have to make only some. I guessed about a good 30-50 guests would come. Anywhere between that many guests would suffice just fine.

Little did they know, the party was simply just a camouflage.

"You got it!" I pumped a fist into the air. "You will never know how much of an opportunity this means to me!"

_You really wouldn't, Ansem. Because by the time you realized it, I would be gone_.

"Stop dawdling and get to work. Just because we're hosting this party, that doesn't mean we will think any higher of you," ordered Ansem.

"Yes, sir," I nodded.

I sighed on my way down the Lift Stop. This was going to be one insanely long night. I will sleep through tomorrow morning, and implement my great breakout plan the night following.

* * *

Riku followed me to the kitchen. Ignoring him was getting to become surprisingly easy.

Second nature, really.

"What's that?" he asked curiously, as I put a slew of meat in a boiling pot.

"It's called pulled pork. It takes an entire night and half a day to make it for best results," I explained, wiping beads of sweat from my forehead.

Pulled pork was delicious. I made that back home alot. I love it even better between white bread hamburger buns smuthered in barbecue sauce.

If leaving the castle wasn't a priority, I knew I would help myself to some of it. I shrugged.

I found ground beef in the fridge, unthawed. It was about two heaping pounds, give or take. I split it in half. I would conserve the other half for later.

I shaped the beef into a series of round hamburgers. It looked like it would feed enough people. I put those on the frying pan over a medium heat.

Riku eventually got tired of watching me cook. He left to his room.

Plus, I suspected the scent made him hungry. I did hear grumbling, but I didn't know if that came from me, or him, honestly.

After finishing frying the hamburgers, I placed them on a paper plate, on top of a paper towel. The paper towel was there to catch the grease.

I later shaped the other half of the ground beef into meatballs. Next, I decided to make a large bowl of spaghetti and meatballs.

I found as many spaghetti noodles as I could and then sat the boxed spaghetti aside.

I never just put the noodles in the water without letting the water boil first. That makes the noodles soggy and crunchy.

When the water started boiling to a high temperature, I carefully placed the spaghetti inside.

I felt like I was one of those annoying cooking show ladies, explaining all of this.

I grabbed a saucepan, and dumped canned tomato sauce into a bowl. I let the sauce boil as I added certain spices and seasonings.

After what felt like forever, I placed the noodles in the sane crock pot I made my vegetable soup in a few weeks ago. I dumped the sauce and meatballs inside, and stirred it up. I made _alot_. The tip of the crock pot was filled with spaghetti.

When I finished that, I placed the spaghetti and meatballs, and hamburgers in the fridge to preserve them. Tomorrow I would let the spaghetti simmer over a period of time to make it taste as good as new.

I stretched, as I exited the kitchen. I guessed by now it was 4am. Minimum. I didn't feel up to the strain of finding a weapon. Tomorrow, if I had any spare time, I decided I would look.

I hurried up to my room, and closed my eyes, drifting off to sleep.

* * *

_Okay, okay...Today is bust-out day. No big deal._

_Don't be nervous..._

_Don't be nervous..._

I was shaking, as I entered the Entrance Hall.

_DAMN IT! I was nervous!_

"Look at you!" called Victor.

I was wearing a black dress with a heartless emblem stitched onto the front. It was as lengthy as a sun dress. My brown hair was poorly straightened and I wore a large black ribbon. I wore scarlet lip stick, and a thin layer of blue mascara.

Maleficent made Sitka have me dress like a 'proper woman, not a vile slob,' for this party.

I felt like a packaged Christmas present from Halloween Town.

I hate make-up. _I hate dresses_. I hate ribbons. _I hate dresses_. I hate mascara. I hate being "prettied" up. _I hate dresses._ I hate straight hair. _I hate dresses_.

Oh, did I mention I have an undying hatred for dresses?

"It's only for tonight, guys," I held my forehead exasperatedly.

"What's going on tonight?" asked Larvene.

Even though the Entrance Hall was beautifully decorated with boquets and black, red, and green ribbons and balloons, the statues were oblivious.

How could they not do the math?

"It's a party," I sighed, ignoring the question and crossing my fingers.

Please, please, _please_ work tonight. I had a hard time getting to Victor, Hugo, and Larvene without Riku tailing me.

And that's only because he went to preach to Ansem about this party being "bad news" real fast.

"A party! Woo! This should be fun!" cheered Hugo.

"I arranged this party. It's a part of my plan," I muttered, sitting by the statues.

"YOUR PLAN?" asked Larvene.

"Yeah, man. It's my plan," I winked happily.

"You don't mean...you're leaving tonight?" asked Hugo, mystified.

"I have to. You guys know this," I laughed.

"It's not that we're concerned about," started Larvene very slowly.

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow. When they went silent, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Uh, Larvene...Whaddya mean?"

"She means...The conversation between Ansem, and that boy that was in here earlier. We heard the boy say to 'see to it' that heartless are stationed at every exit possible," explained Victor.

I felt my heart sink in my chest.

That asshole, Riku. I bet he had a hunch I was planning on getting outside, or sneaking away.

And I learned that heartless do their bidding to those who wield darkness. And I don't control darkness.

So if Ansem or Riku ordered them to capture me, surely the heartless would.

Surely there had to be some alternate way to get to my ship later. But I have looked around way too many times before.

There were no other ways to get back to the Rising Falls, unfortunately.

Was my plan all for nothing?

Bright side...bright side...At least I could eat some of my famous pulled pork, right? Right.

That still didn't help the fact that I knew they were going to kill me eventually. I wondered if this dress would be the last dress I had to ever resent.

No, I could still figure out something.

_What would Sora do?_

He would kick ass, of course!

But unfortunately, my odds of fighting an entire castle of villains were slim.

No, wait.

Did I say slim? I meant impossible.

_Okay, what would Sora do if he was stuck here and COULDN'T FIGHT_?

Uh...my guess is that he would get help from friends in the world he had made.

Unfortunately, my only friends were the statues and Sitka. The statues couldn't be of use, so asking for their help would be pointless. All they could do was offer me wisdom and potential comic relief.

Sitka...could I risk telling her?

I mean, I could always come back to my plan after the party. But I didn't want to wait. I knew I couldn't wait much longer.

No, I _had_ to get Sitka's help if I wanted this to work.

After today, I'm sure I can't arrange anymore getaway parties. And Riku will be watching me constantly.

Today would be most opportune because I was close to finalizing my experiment, and slipping away from Riku would be easy if people were there.

Easy was starting to become an understatement.

I wasn't going to lie to Sitka about this, but I wasn't going to tell her the whole truth either. If I could get her to get me past the guards, then it would be smooth sailing from there.

"I'm still going to do it," I said slowly. "I guess I will just have a _very _short time limit."

"Good luck, Sayla! Since we might not get a chance to say goodbye, be sure to come back and visit us eventually!" cheered Larvene.

"Thanks. You guys hang in there," I smiled.

Not that they had an option, being inanimate.

I would have hugged them, but I was _not_ a hugger. So I just offered them kindness instead.

They turned to stone as the door to the Entrance Hall creaked open. Scar from the Lion King strode in, along with the evil-looking toys from Toy Story.

I observed the Disney characters' fine features. I _grew up_ with Disney. Being in their presence was incredible, even if they were antagonists.

Well, the toys weren't necessarily evil, they just looked evil.

"Welcome to Hollow Bastion, please make yourself at home!" I smiled earnestly from the top of the stairs. "Your host will be with you shortly!"

A blue puff of fire appeared in the center of the Entrance Hall. Hades decided to appear just now. Scar growled disapprovingly at the newcomer.

"If our host ever stops staring at that blank wall of a Keyhole, _amiright_?!" joked Hades, impersonating a comedian.

I rolled my eyes. Even if Hades was annoying, he had a fine ability of keeping people entertained. So at least I knew our guests wouldn't get scared away.

I ran through the halls of the Lift Stop. Sitka told me she would be getting ready in my room.

When I creaked my door open, I was aghast at what I saw. Sitka went all-out black.

She wore black eye contacts, black mascara and make-up, a very lengthy black dress, and long black princess gloves.

...And I thought mine was hideous.

I stifled a laugh. Instead, I looked cheerful, "Heya, Sitka! You look amazing!"

"You really think so?" she turned around, smiling.

_Hell-to-the-no_.

"Yeah! You look gorgeous!" I clasped my hands together. I noticed she had her veil in her hands. "Uh...You're honestly not taking that veil with you, are you?"

She hugged it, giggling. "My veil is my prized possession, like your iPhone is yours."

"Good point," I laughed. "So, um, I wanted to know if you wanted to go stargazing tonight? Like, sometime during the party. We haven't hung out like this in such a long time, right?"

"Stargazing? Are we even allowed?" asked Sitka uncertainly.

"Why would it matter? What Ansem doesn't know won't kill him...But...Ugh..." I sighed roughly.

"What is it?" asked a confused Sitka.

"He has heartless stationed at the exit...There's no way we could sneak past them," I facepalmed. "Nevermind. It was a stupid idea."

I started walking toward the exit. If she didn't reply, or acknowledge me now, I knew this plan would falter.

"Fine...I guess," said Sitka slowly.

"Really?! Eek! I can't wait!" I tackle-hugged her.

And yes, my hugs are next to impossible to receive. That shows just how much this meant to me.

"But we can't stay outside too long...And as a reward for helping you out, I want more of those circle foods!" demanded Sitka jokingly.

"Pancakes," I corrected her, smiling. "And don't ya worry, Sitka. _I won't stay out there very long at all_."

* * *

**A/N: WOO! Party time :33**

**It looks like this plan is all ready and prepared to come to life.**

**That is, until Riku makes some road blocks for Sayla :D**

**Hurr hurrr x3**

**Next chapter, the breakout continues and the entire party shows up. What will happen when a surprise party guest shows up? Definitely more than you will think. **

**Stay tuned!**

**REVIEW :D Or else I will send heartless and nobodies after you XD**


	9. Chapter 9: It's Party Time, Part 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews you guys are awesome :3**

**So sorry for the slow update DX I have a good excus-er, EXPLAINATION I mean! **

**I have finally got a part-time Beta whom decided to help me conquer the menacing hills I call "Writer's Block and hideous typos!" xD Thanks Star-Shaped-X**

**...I hope you guys bought that excuse XD**

**Pretty much all of you were wondering who our little surprise guest was. Well, in this chapter, you get to find out :D!**

**And even though It may not seem like it at first, our secret guest plays a pretty big role in either stopping or helping Sayla.**

**Yo mucho gusto humor amigos? :D Por favor?**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would make Neku a playable character in DDD...DON'T JUDGE MEH XD**

* * *

Chapter 9: It's "Party" Time, Part 2

I leaned at the edge of the stairway, watching Maleficent laugh maniacally while burning heartless alive.

I was surprised that the heartless didn't retaliate, and just took the injuries.

Ansem didn't show up to the party.

Go figure.

Even though he was so keen about the party, he stayed up there at the Keyhole, with Kairi.

I had a hunch Alice was taken in days before the party was even planned, but couldn't prove it. I asked Sitka if we had a foreign prisoner, but she didn't say much. She just smiled weakly and shrugged like she didn't know.

The Library was blocked off. There was a group of soldiers surrounding it menacingly. Entrance would be futile, anyway, given that Maleficent and the other's were nearby.

I could spot Riku just within eyesight. He made sure that I couldn't drift out of his field of vision.

And I have tried lots of times. I snuck behind Ursula (because...How should I say this kindly...because of her larger stature).

Riku found me.

I hid under the snack table, and tried to collect my thoughts there.

They were short lived; Riku found me.

Getting out of here would be impossible without a worthy distraction. I figured one would come along if I gave it enough time.

Heck, I was surrounded by notorious masterminds! Surely someone will end up doing something obnoxious and/or stupid.

I had a plan to start drawing the audience's attention to one thing, so they wouldn't be standing about or nearby when I slipped out.

Namely, the light show I arranged with both Hades and Sitka to perform in unison.

But even I knew just that wouldn't be enough. I mean, the lights could blind Riku - probably - just long enough for me to feign into the crowd. And there were lots of villains gathered up here.

But there would still be the matter of getting Sitka, lead of the show, to help get me outside.

And I'm sure people were bound to notice if the star of the show disappeared abruptly.

I sighed. My plan was perfect, but I just needed the perfect distraction. That's all.

Maybe even a disguise. But no one here was stupid enough to fall for that. Plus, that would only strike more suspicion than I already had.

"This is going to get messy real fast," I murmured.

"_What is_?"

I turned around hastily, with a shocked look on my face. At first, I thought it was Riku, because he was following me around, but the voice is what caught me off guard.

It was Sephiroth. He was at the party.

Oh crap.

"ACK! N-Nothing," I shrugged weakly.

"You're lying," he laughed low-heartedly. He held out a glass of fruit punch out to me.

I grabbed it, and smiled. "Oh, er, thanks!" I stopped uneasily before taking a sip of my beverage. "Uh...You didn't put anything weird in here, did ya?"

Hey, that question was completely necessary to ask, mind you!

If it was drugged because of a request by anyone (namely Riku), then my plan would be as good as shot.

Destroyed.

"It's_ just_ punch," said Sephiroth bluntly.

I smiled and took a few drinks after deciding it wasn't poisoned. I did tend overreact sometimes. "Thank you. I take it you are, uh, Sephiroth?"

"The one and only," he grimaced into a bow.

This guy was bad news. If I was caught, Sephiroth could kill me in no time flat. It was a hassle just trying to beat him in both Kingdom Hearts 1 & 2.

I was still trying to beat him in the game as a level 99 with an Ultima Keyblade, but to no avail.

And one could argue he was stronger than Xemnas and Ansem. Perhaps even Xehanort...Maybe.

Nah, Xehanort, from what I could gather from the promos, looked _pretty _fierce.

And I am here with Sephiroth.

Let's face it. I'm dead if I am caught.

D-E-A-D. Dead.

After a pause, I smiled nervously, "I have heard of you. I just never knew you were acquainted with Ansem, though."

Honestly, I had no idea that they were.

"The ingrate being who thinks he is higher than everyone else? Don't make me laugh," Sephiroth said earnestly. "I came to enjoy the party. I heard it was going to be a good one."

He eyed me suspiciously. I smiled nervously, and sipped on my punch so I didn't have to speak.

"Listen, uhmm, feel free to target practice on the heartless with Maleficent if you get bored," I laughed nervously.

"As if I would waste my time fighting something as easy as heartless," he pivoted, and strode down to regroup with the party.

I sighed. I leaned my elbow against Hugo's head. "Think this will work?"

Of course, no response.

I snapped, "I know you guys can hear me!"

When I noticed Riku was still watching me, I stopped talking. I did look crazy speaking to the statues.

I whispered, "Just watch my back."

I could have sworn the statue nodded very, very distilled. I took that as Victor's approval.

I started down the stairs, as Sitka lunged past me, knocking my punch out of my hand.

It was a good thing we were using plastic cups, otherwise it would have shattered. And Maleficent was on a killing streak right now with six Pitbulls and a few Neoshadows, all burning in unison.

I probably would've end up being her brand new target.

"Sorry, Sayla! I am about to perform!" she cheered.

I looked over my shoulder, and couldn't see Riku. But I had a feeling he was in the crowd, still eyeing me.

"It's okay. Put on a show that will blow all of the fish out of the water," I smiled. I was honestly eager to see what she and Hades had in store for us. I got beside her ear, and whispered, "I will try to think of a distraction so we can get out."

"I will! And okay!"

At the center of the Entrance Hall, a small round platform stood. It was like a scaffold. On top of said platform were Hades and Sitka. I cheered for Sitka, but not for Hades.

The Charger Theif annoyed me. He earned zero applause.

The lights dimmed, and the room started turning a deep shade of purple. It was almost blinding.

I worked my way through the crowd, before a hand rested on my shoulder. I turned around frantically to see who it was. "Riku?!"

"Where are you going? You will miss the show," his grip got tighter.

I gasped in pain, and mustered a weary voice, "Ow! Please let go, Riku!."

I tugged away, and freed myself from his grasp. His cold eyes stared into my own. I shivered.

"I just thought friends were supposed to stick together," shrugged Riku.

He actually sounded like he was serious. Did he really start accepting me as a friend?

No. Even if he did, it was much too late for that.

"Riku, we might be friends," I smiled and continued, "but I still don't like you very much...If at all. So why are you following me?"

"You wouldn't understand...Kairi - you told me you knew her - I want her to be here with me more than anything...And if you leave, you will be leaving her," Riku said bitterly.

I know this, idiot.

If I left now, Kairi wouldn't have a shot at life. And Riku's hopes for her survival would dwindle.

But even so, in the end, Sora was destined to revive Kairi, not me. So she would live eventually.

Still, a pang of guilt struck me inadequately. Kairi didn't deserve any of this. It's not like she signed up to be a Princess, or to lose her heart.

And Riku just made things _much_ worse. By going to such lengths to revive his girlfriend - er, Kairi, I mean - he succumbs to darkness later on and loses sight of his light.

The room started turning deep shades red and blue. Sitka made the red lights, and Hades made the blue.

"Hm...You like her, don't you?" I winked.

Riku looked in awe at me. "Yeah. We have been friends for a while."

"When I said_ like_, I meant do you have a crush on her? You know, head over heels in love with her. Romeo and Juliet? The birds and the bees?!" I snapped.

When the room's color changed to scarlet red, I couldn't tell if Riku was blushing or not with embarrassment. He did hide his face by looking away for good measure.

"That's - That's silly!" he waved as-a-matter-of-factly. "And besides, you never told me how the hell you knew Sora and Kairi. And '_I just do_' is not an acceptable answer!"

"It's not exactly that I _know_ them as it is I know _of_ them," I shrugged.

I wasn't lying. It was technically the truth.

Riku grew a questioning expression. I shrugged it off.

I didn't really meet the hero himself, nor did I meet Kairi either. I just know them from the hit video game series.

And I knew of Riku, as well.

"How?" asked Riku, suddenly intrigued.

"It's really none of your business," I said, crossing my arms.

I could tell Riku was trying to be kind this time. He was trying to be friendly to me.

But I never forgave people so easily for their screw-ups.

Well, that's not to say I screw up myself. I do _alot_. But it was okay if I did that. Just no one else.

"Actually it is my - " started Riku.

Just then, I saw Hook's pirates have a live sword fight in the middle of the hall.

As incompetent and stupid as most of these guests were, I figured I would already be gone by now.

Granted, not everyone was stupid. Take Sephiroth for example. Or Maleficent. Or even Riku.

"Look, a fight!" I cheered, as an excuse to avoid Riku's lingering curiosity.

I scurried away to watch Turk and Starkey battle. They fought with toy wooden swords, so no real injuries could be done. Their attacks were precarious and well-practiced.

Presumably, they were combat-ready for a certain green boy who flies around with a blond fairy.

The battle between them, though...It kinda reminded me of Sora and Riku when they were little kids. It was amusing to watch.

I _loved_ watching fights at school back home. I went to a city school, so kids fought all the time.

Especially girl fights. I mean, none of the "cat fights" I have seen, nobody used their fist. They slapped and pulled hair.

And called each other silly, overused derogatory words.

After the fighting ceased, the climax of Sitka's show was piqueing.

Lovely white and silver colors filled the room.

"Thank you, thank you, everyone!" cheered Hades.

"Y-yeah..." huffed Sitka exasperatedly. "Thanks..."

"For our next act, we will be performing a magic trick with money!" Honest John from Pinocchio called, charging to the stage.

I rolled my eyes. Even though Honest John wasn't in Dream Drop Distance, I seen the movie.

Honest John wasn't too honest.

There was an anticipating silence that ensued as the little fox struggled to climb onto the stage. "Hey, Gideon, get up here with me!" hissed Honest John.

Giddy was very quiet in the movies and also was a drunkard. I watched as he gave Giddy a helping hand onto the stage.

"Alright, we need each of you to chip in 100 munny!" cried Honest John. "This will be a disappearing act!"

...Seriously? I raised my eyebrow in concern.

This guy was going to try to rob a room full of ruthless villains? I mean, it would make sense if they tried it on one, or two, but nobody was that stupid.

"Why, can't I pay in my charmingly gorgeous looks?" cheered Gaston, running his hand through his hair.

Okay, you know that stupid thing I said...? Yep. I take that back.

Gaston was supposed to be the main antagonist in Beauty and the Beast's world. But my guess is that Square Enix didn't think he was exactly 'badass material' so they didn't bother making him villainous.

I can see why.

I never expected to see so many Disney Villains gathered at this party, some of which were not even included in the Kingdom Heart's games. And, truth is, it was _really_ friggin cool.

"Come on, any takers?! Money back, _probably_ guaranteed," Honest John called.

Wow, with a warranty like that, who couldn't pass up such an awe-inspiring offer?

I didn't even have 100 munny. I spent 60. The remainder of my munny was stowed away in a pouch within my bag.

Currency in Kingdom Hearts was weird and a little unsettling to discover. It wasn't like back home. I could back a bag for ten dollars at best. Here, it costed a little more.

I guess they were what Euros were to Europeans. I dunno.

I decided to detour to see Sitka, who was a little worn out from her light show. She was chugging down a third glass of fruit punch, the crowd surrounding chanting, "CHUG CHUG CHUG!"

I nearly died of laughter as I watched Sitka slurp her beverages sluggishly. She had to stop, or else she would get sick.

I cared about her...It's just, I needed a Healthy Sitka today. A sick one would be, well, useless.

"Okay, guys, she's taking a short intermission," I snatched her glass, smirking with amusement still.

The crowd behind me look confused.

I sighed, and met some of their gazes. "It means she has to take a break!"

The crowd seemed a little disappointed, as they slowly died back into the festive party of those on the dance floor.

I looked Sitka in the eye, still about to break into a fit of giggles, "You okay?"

"Never better," Sitka wiped a bead of sweat from her head, and smiled. "Man, this is one great party! I'm glad you arranged it!"

I think I have been helping Sitka become less shy. When I first met her, she was like a porcelain doll. Now she is like a social butterfly.

"Yeah, I am having a blast," I smiled. "I can't wait to go out and see the stars next!"

"Um, how exactly do you plan to get us to those doors without anyone noticing?" Sitka raised an eyebrow.

Even if I couldn't see Riku or he was within sight, a distraction would still be necessary. Maleficent was still here, and even the rest of the villain crew.

I thought for a second, an eager, amused smile growing on my face. "I have an idea. It's a stupidly immature one, but I got one."

* * *

-*-*- Riku's POV, Third Person -*-*-

At the Lift Stop, right outside of the Entrance Hall, Riku and Sephiroth converged.

Riku looked pleased as Sephiroth finally strode in, seeing as nothing went wrong out there.

Riku stopped following Sayla. He decided to meet with the other at the Lift Stop, seeing as it was vacant.

Of course, Riku already knew to trust him. Riku had got Ansem to invite Sephiroth personally. Not as a guest, but more as a wingman.

"So, you got it, I assume?" asked Riku.

"Yeah...It was too easy," Sephiroth held out a drawstring bag, before continuing, "I was honestly expecting this task to be a bit more challenging."

Riku smiled, as he reached for the bag. Sephiroth yanked it out of reach, and waved the 'no-no' finger to him.

"Right. Here ya go," Riku tossed Sephiroth a pouch of munny.

"That's it?" said Sephiroth half-heartedly, opening the bag eagerly and counting the coins.

"How much more do you need?!" snapped Riku.

Honestly, this man drove a hard bargain just for Sayla's cheap bag. When Riku inspected it earlier, it was full of polyester. It was an odd edition to the bag.

But it made him very suspicious to see her show up to the party with it. Plus, it looked like it was heavier.

And who in the world wears a nice dress to a party with a drawstring bag? First of all, it looks dumb on you. Second of all, it gives people the impression you are hiding something.

"Not that. Hm...I want..." Sephiroth studied a shiny piece of munny very steadily, before continuing, "Cloud Strife's current location..."

Riku looked amazed. He knew of Cloud Strife throughout the villains' journies to the other worlds.

And Riku also knew of his whereabouts from Sitka.

"Cloud? I think I know where he is," said Riku, not caring as much about the question as he did the contents of Sayla's bag.

* * *

**A/N: WAS THIS CHAPTER GOOD? :D**

**DID IT MAKE YOU JUST WANNA SHOOT YOURSELF AND BURST INTO A POST-APOCALYPTIC ZOMBIE ERA?! XD**

**Lawlz ^,^ I think we all know who took Sayla's bag.**

**The party just goes from bad to worse as Riku finds out what she has inside xD This can't be good news...**

**And I know Cloud was at Olympus in the game. And rest assured, he will get to that world when he's supposed to be there xD**

**But Sephiroth needing to know where Cloud is at is necessary to the plot progression.**

**Can't tell you how right now, buttttt stay tuned and the answer will occur eventually ^_^**

**Review/Follow/Favorite :3**


	10. Hiatus

Sorry guys XD This isn't an update.

I have to set my story a side for a couple weeks, and I thought it would be fair to let you guys know.

My sister is leaving for the air force in a week from today. I want to spend that time with my family before she has to go away for 20 years.

Not mention school having to start back up (unfortunately) and the fact I need to finish my book report. So I plan on returning by the end of August.

Sorry guys! If you hate me then I tots understand DX


End file.
